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Network saboteurs cutting fiber optic cables in Southern California are putting public safety and critical business operations on the line.
Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
Verizon is offering $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of vandals who severed fiber optic cables across Los Angeles, cutting off service for thousands.
“These are criminal acts, affecting people’s safety and are putting lives at risk,” said Vandana Venkatesh, Verizon’s chief legal officer, through an August 11 statement posted on Verizon’s website.
Top 10 US states for ISP network infrastructure attacks in 2025
The state took a big economic hit from 6,297 physical network attacks in 2025, with Los Angeles accounting for 1,131 incidents, according to Verizon.
According to the NCTA, attacks on telecom infrastructure caused over a quarter billion dollars of economic losses in 2025 last year in California.
Los Angeles was far and away the leader in incidents nationwide in 2025, the organization reported.
“This must stop because our communities should not be put at risk by thieves who vandalize or steal cables,” said Joe Russo, Verizon’s EVP and president of global networks and technology.
Verizon asks anyone witnessing vandalism to call 911, then contact Verizon Security at 1-800-997-3287.
Join the discussion about threats facing America’s networks
Meanwhile, vandalism is only one of the threats facing America’s networks.
Network resilience and longevity will be a key discussion point at Broadband Communities Summit 2026 (August 25-27) in Houston with expert panels like “Built to Last or Built to Pass? Bridging the Oversight Gap in BEAD.”
Join the discussion and get tickets to Summit ’26 today.
Some AI tools assisted in the crafting of this report.
