This sabotage had consequences everywhere in France, including in New Aquitaine. In the Dordogne for example, 9,500 customers were affected on the Sarladais: no more telephones, no more Internet, withdrawal counters… A cable had also been severed in the sector. An “aggravation” of vandalism According to the first elements of the investigation, and the rare photos released of the severed interregional fiber optic cables, this attack was sophisticated. “The authors knew precisely the location of the pulling chambers (the place where the cables pass) and the cables to be cut”, observes a connoisseur of the French internet network. “On the Paris-Lyon axis, in the middle of a rapeseed field, they cut the excess cable lengths so that it would take a long time to repair. This is ultra-precision work. “. The challenge of the physical preservation of networks was brought back to light. “Our telecom infrastructures are […] of vital importance for the country”, recalled Thomas Reynaud, general manager of the parent company of the operator Free. Three of the group’s four arteries, which form the backbone of its network, were vandalized. Reaction forceDespite the scale of the attack, the case demonstrated the “very rapid” repair capacity of French operators, believes Pierre Bonis, CEO of Afnic. “As soon as a branch is cut, it self-protects and traffic is switched to secondary roads, other fiber optic paths”, further indicates Thomas Reynaud.