Latvian telco Tet is not happy with domestic rival Balticom, accusing the operator of causing damage to its network infrastructure.

Tet accuses Balticom of deliberately damaging its fiber network and even using the infrastructure for the provision of its own services, Apollo reports.

Tet claims it has detected deliberate damage and unauthorized use of its fiber infrastructure across more than 300 locations in Ventspils, Latvia, with State Police informed of the matter.

The company alleges that the last sections of its fiber-optic network are being illegally cut in the stairwells of apartment buildings and connected to the Balticom network instead, suggesting that Balticom is using its network for its own commercial gain without permission or payment.

“Competition in the telecommunications sector has always been fierce, but this is the first time we have encountered such cynical deliberate damage to the infrastructure of another operator and obstacles when trying to return property. We can say that now we are witnessing a kind of legal racketeering and deception of the residents of Ventspils,” said Tet chief operating officer Alla Krumina.

Balticom has hit back at the accusations, noting that it's preparing a response statement to the police.

"We are unpleasantly surprised by the attempts of Tet to discredit our reputation because at the moment we have not been found guilty of any charges. Even more strange is the desire of Tet to involve Ventspils residents in legal proceedings, who are not involved in this conflict at all," said Anastasija Muižniece, procurator of Balticom.

It's not the first time operators have been accused of causing damage to other telcos' network infrastructure, with a similar situation taking place in Ethiopia recently.

Incumbent state-owned operator Ethio Telecom accused newcomer Safaricom of causing damage to its infrastructure in December of last year.

The operator alleged that the damage had led to a severe blackout, and even threatened Safaricom with legal action.

Fed up French want to fight back against infrastructure damage

Damage to network infrastructure has also reared its head in France, where elected officials are so fed up with the problem that they've met up to discuss a resolution to the issue.

French publication France3 noted that last month several officials from Haute-Savoie met in five municipalities to express their indignation against acts of vandalism.

The article noted that since the start of this year, there have been 27 attacks on network infrastructure in the Haute-Savoie region.

Electricity provider Syane noted that its public fiber optic network has been attacked on 145 occasions in just over a year.

"We cannot accept this in a department like Haute-Savoie where today we have industrialists and digital companies that need immediate and quality service. And if we also want to advocate telework tomorrow, we also cannot afford for a person to no longer have access to the Internet at home,” warns Joël Baud-Grasset, president of Syane.

The company has written to Jean-Noël Barrot, the Minister in charge of Digital Transition and Telecommunications in France to raise the issue.

Barrot reportedly said that the government is in dialogue with French telecoms regulator ARCEP.