The connection with Sweden accounts for one third of international internet traffic in Lithuania. According to Andrius Šemeškevičius, head of technology at Telia Lietuva, residents did not experience any connectivity issues throughout this time.
He notes that Lithuania has several internet connections with vast bandwidth reserves, thus internet would operate even under the most complex circumstances.
The subsea communications cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden, which is used by Telia, is operated by the company Arelion, which was responsible for its repairs.
As reported, two fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged on 17 and 18 November, one connecting Lithuania and Sweden, and the other between Finland and Germany. It is thought that Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 might have deliberately damaged them. The vessel left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on 15 November and was sailing in the vicinity of the cables at the time when they were severed.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Lithuania has opened a pre-trial investigation into terrorism, while Sweden is investigating sabotage.