Fire at a pylon: 800,000 subscribers deprived of network in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Burgundy

During the night of December 29 to 30, a fire broke out on a 90-meter telecommunications pylon in Cenves (Rhône), causing a major disruption to hertzian and mobile networks. The incident, reported at 3:30 am, left over 800,000 people without access to certain television channels or mobile services in the regions of Mâcon, Bourg-en-Bresse, Villefranche-sur-Saône, and Chalon-sur-Saône.

A criminal origin considered

According to Télédiffusion de France (TDF), the infrastructure manager, significant damage was observed, strengthening the hypothesis of a deliberate act. This fire severely disrupted the reception of many channels, including those of France Télévisions, Canal+, LCI, and Paris Première, for users of TNT antennas.

The mobile network was also impacted, affecting all operators, including Orange, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, and Free Mobile. However, fixed internet services relying on underground infrastructure such as fiber or ADSL remain operational.

Infrastructures becoming targets

Telecommunication pylons, although less frequently targeted than mobile relay antennas or telephone exchange centers, are not immune to attacks. During the Olympics, one such pylon was already targeted in protest against the event’s organization.

TDF has announced that its teams are working intensively to restore service and expects significant improvements within 48 hours. In the meantime, users are advised to rely on internet-based communication rather than mobile networks (3G, 4G, or 5G).

A gendarmerie investigation is underway, focusing on the suspected criminal origin of the incident.