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Comcast, public utilities and recyclers tell senators copper and fiber thefts are crippling services and risking public safety
Summary
Telecom and utility representatives told the committee that theft of copper and damage to fiber and power infrastructure is rising, causing multi-county outages, threats to 911 and health-monitoring systems, and urged tighter scrap-yard controls, tougher penalties and better industry practices.
Representatives from Comcast, Mason Public Utility District and the Recycled Materials Association told the Senate Law and Justice Committee that theft and vandalism of metal and telecommunications infrastructure have reached a crisis level and in some cases create public-safety risks.
Daniel Grissom, senior regional operations security manager for Comcast in the Pacific Northwest, told senators that cutting aerial cables and other infrastructure can do more than damage property. "When you think about an individual that will climb a tree, climb a pole, and cut down, say, a fiber optic cable, that can take out anywhere from 10 to tens of thousands of customers," Grissom said, and "We've had instances where 9-1-1 systems were disabled." He…
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