Two critical data cables linking Sweden and Finland have been fully restored, following damages that disrupted internet services for 6,000 private customers and 100 businesses. The cables, managed by Global Connect, a leading provider of digital infrastructure in Northern Europe, were damaged on Monday in separate incidents in southern Finland.
Global Connect spokesperson Niklas Ekström announced that repairs were completed overnight. “By the early hours, the first cable was repaired, restoring internet access to 95% of affected customers. By noon on Tuesday, the second cable was also fully operational,” Ekström said.
The first disruption occurred on Monday morning, followed by the second in the afternoon. One was attributed to excavation work, while the cause of the second incident remains under investigation.
Although similar damage to fiber-optic cables occurs every few months, Ekström noted that two cables being severed in the same region on the same day was highly unusual. Finnish authorities are collaborating with Global Connect to investigate the matter. Finland’s Minister of Transportation and Communications, Lulu Ranne, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the government is treating the incident with seriousness, but police confirmed they are not currently pursuing a criminal investigation.
This event follows a separate high-profile incident last month, where two undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea were ruptured—one between Finland and Germany, and another between Lithuania and Sweden. Authorities from Finland, Sweden, and Germany launched investigations into what Germany’s defense minister suggested could be sabotage, although no definitive proof has surfaced.
Sweden recently requested China’s cooperation to explain the Baltic Sea cable damages after reports of a Chinese-flagged vessel in the area.
The quick resolution of the Sweden-Finland cable issue highlights the region’s reliance on robust digital infrastructure and the growing concerns over vulnerabilities in critical communication networks.
Source: Swifteradio.com