João Domingos Correia, chairman of the board of directors of incumbent operator Cabo Verde Telecom, revealed that the fire that ravaged part of the company's premises on the night of 11 July 2020 could be due to a criminal act.

“The real causes of the fire are still unclear,” he said during a press conference, stressing that the company has always been the subject of several attacks on its network and equipment.

On the night of 11 July 2020, the fire broke out in one of the energy sectors that supply CV Telecom's telephone centers. As a result, the voice, SMS, and Internet segment were all paralyzed in the country.

Domingos Correia estimates the value of the company's equipment losses at more than 60 million escudos ($600,000), excluding the financial damage caused by the interruption of the company's entire telecom network. According to him, the focus is currently on restoring communication. For the time being, only fixed and mobile Internet, the exchange system, and fixed voice service are in operation. Mobile and fixed voice services could become operational in the next few hours.