Cable theft is again impacting AT&T, potentially raising costs for customers.

At a US Telecom gathering, AT&T reported an increase in copper theft and vandalism. Rhonda Johnson, AT&T’s EVP of federal regulatory relations, stated there were over 7,000 such cases in 2025, often at the same locations. Repairing the damage and restoring networks cost the company over $60 million. These funds could have been used for infrastructure deployment.

Verizon reported that California and Texas are major targets for vandalism. Kathy Grillo, Verizon's SVP of Government Affairs and Public Policy, noted that approximately half of the incidents occurred in these states. Grillo advocated for stricter state regulations and increased public awareness to help lower theft rates.

Vandals apparently mistake fiber lines for copper.

In addition to vandalism, carriers face issues from malicious users attempting to infiltrate networks and access private user data. These actions are another source of damage to carriers.

These incidents impact both the carriers and customers who lose network access.

Increased awareness and stronger legislation may reduce these incidents, allowing carriers to invest the money used for repairs in network improvements, expand 5G coverage, and resolve other network operational issues.

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