- Operators note skyrocketing copper theft and vandalism
- AT&T has counted more than 7,000 incidents this year
- Telcos are ramping copper removal, but the metal is still a hot commodity
Copper wire theft has become the talk of telecom, as operators at a USTelecom event called out an uptick in cases with a hefty price tag.
AT&T counted more than 7,000 theft and vandalism incidents in 2025 alone, many in repeat locations, according to Rhonda Johnson, AT&T’s EVP of federal regulatory relations. The thefts cost AT&T more than $60 million to repair the damage and get networks back up and running – money that could have been spent on deployment.
In Verizon’s case, California and Texas have been major vandalism hotspots, accounting for roughly half of its incidents, said Kathy Grillo, Verizon SVP of Government Affairs and Public Policy. She argued that stricter state regulations and better public awareness could make a big difference in reducing theft.
She suggested "if you see something, say something" messaging programs by law enforcement or other government entitites to raise awareness.
The broadband industry is collectively pushing to get network vandalism on the public radar. Last month, NCTA, SCTE and a few operator execs launched STRIKE, a coalition that aims to “coordinate action against criminal attacks on broadband infrastructure.”
Charter, which likened network damage to “domestic terrorism,” has noted that network vandalism is classified as a felony in only 28 states. In states like California and Kentucky, law enforcement has established task forces dedicated to tracking copper wire theft.
Eric Cramer, president and CEO of RiverStreet, a rural fiber provider serving North Carolina and Virginia, echoed other panelists that copper theft has “increased dramatically.” In some cases, thieves have even stolen construction equipment such as a backhoe.
“It’s gotten pretty bad. We used to worry about people just shooting birds off aerial cables,” Cramer said.
Vandals often mistake fiber lines for copper, “they don’t even know what they’re looking at,” he said – a trend AT&T, Charter and Windstream have also called out. Interestingly, Fidium CEO Bob Udell said these incidents have gone down as the company progresses on its fiber build. “We’re a little over 60% fiberized now,” he noted.
Telcos are scrambling to remove old copper lines, but the metal remains a hot commodity. Copper is currently worth about $5.10 per pound, plus data centers use it extensively not just for cabling and power systems but also for liquid cooling. So, its price could potentially further go up.
“Recyclers are paying good money for this,” Johnson said. “This is an issue where I think collaboration between recyclers, law enforcement and the industry is important we need to figure out a way to get this under control.”