Orange stated its Guinea unit suffered a cut to its international communications for three days without any prior knowledge to it happening, as the country was rocked with protests.
Orange told Reuters the cut to communications was at the level of infrastructure company Guilab, which the government holds a majority stake in, and leveraged in the past to cut internet access in times of unrest.
Guilab manages the country’s connection to a high-speed submarine communication cable to enable calls and internet services.
The news agency reported internet and phone calls were severely disrupted in Guinea after preliminary results of Guinea’s presidential election on October 18, showed President Alpha Conde had won a third term, sparking violent protests that killed 20 people.
Orange told the news agency the cuts were surprising and affected only its services, and it did not see a notification of non-compliance with its obligations or a breach of Guinea’s laws.