Copper Theft Attempt Disrupts Internet Across Los Angeles, Ventura Counties

A widespread internet outage affecting thousands of Spectrum customers in Los Angeles and Ventura counties was caused by vandals attempting to steal copper wire, but mistakenly cutting fiber-optic cables that contain no copper. The incident occurred in Van Nuys, where thieves climbed trees to access and cut multiple fiber lines, disrupting service on Father’s Day. Spectrum quickly deployed extra crews to restore services, with most customers regaining connectivity by Sunday, and offered a full day credit to affected users. The company also announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible and is cooperating with the Los Angeles Police Department. This event highlights a growing problem of copper theft affecting telecommunications infrastructure nationwide, driven by the rising value of precious metals, and raises concerns about the need for improved security measures. Customers expressed frustration over the outage's impact and the scale of disruption across the region.