Cable damage disrupts Finland's internet, triggering probe

LONDON

Finland's internet connectivity suffered a major disruption after a fiber optic cable connecting it to Sweden was damaged, causing widespread outages and triggering a probe, Finnish media reported Tuesday.

The damage took place on land in two separate locations on Monday, with repair work still ongoing as of Tuesday morning, public broadcaster YLE reported, citing GlobalConnect, the company responsible for the infrastructure.

The incident, which disrupted internet services throughout Finland, has sparked suspicions of criminal activity.

Swedish media outlets, including SVT and Aftonbladet, reported that Finnish police are investigating the damage, saying it could be a criminal act.

Finnish police later clarified that no criminal investigation had been initiated, and no crimes were currently suspected in relation to the cable damage.

In response to the incident, Finland's Transport and Communications Minister Lulu Ranne confirmed that authorities are looking into the matter.

Authorities and the company are jointly investigating the matter, Ranne wrote on social media, adding: "We take the situation seriously."

The damaged fiber optic cable, located in rural areas between Espoo and Vihti, was part of the critical infrastructure connecting the Nordic countries.

The incident comes after a string of similar incidents in recent weeks, including the November cutting of two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

This cable break is just one of several alarming incidents involving the disruption of key communication lines.

Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently investigating a separate case involving the C-Lion1 submarine cable that connects Finland and Germany.

The investigation is focused on suspected aggravated property damage and interference with telecommunications.

A day before the Finland-Germany cable was cut, another cable linking Sweden and Lithuania was also damaged.