TV Suddenly Goes Black... The Real Reason Behind the 'Communication Blackout' Revealed

Soaring Copper Prices Fuel Surge in U.S. Cable Theft
9,770 Copper Theft Cases Reported in First Half of the Year
Thieves Disguise Themselves as Telecom Workers

As copper prices soar to an all-time high, cable thieves targeting copper are running rampant in the United States.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on November 29 (local time), Los Angeles (LA) is the area most affected by these crimes. Cable thieves in the LA area are cutting copper wires that transmit signals for telephone and internet lines and reselling them.

As copper prices soar to an all-time high, cable thieves targeting copper are running rampant in the United States. Photo by Getty Images

They disguise themselves as telecommunications company employees by wearing hard hats and vests, then climb trees and poles to cut the cables. To steal copper wires, they even pry open manholes and dig up asphalt.

The damage extends to household air conditioners, public streetlights, and small and medium-sized businesses. In June, in Van Nuys, California, the severing of communication cables caused internet and landline phone services to be disrupted for up to 30 hours for over 50,000 households and more than 500 businesses, including a military base, 911 emergency services, and hospitals. In Missouri, copper wires were also stolen from a wind turbine installation site.

According to the National Cable Television Association (NCTA), there were 9,770 reported cases of intentional theft and sabotage on U.S. communication networks between January and June of this year, nearly double the number reported in the previous six months. As a result, more than 8 million customers have suffered from service disruptions and other damages.

The photo is for illustrative purposes only and is not related to specific content. Pixabay

The surge in copper theft is driven by rising copper prices. Last month, copper prices on the London Metal Exchange reached a record high of $11,146 per ton. Copper is a conductive metal used in electrical wiring, and demand has surged in recent years due to the boom in wind turbines, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

FBI: "Organized group crime... under investigation"

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers copper theft to be the work of organized groups and is cooperating with local authorities to investigate these cases. Some telecommunications companies, such as AT&T, are also taking additional measures, such as upgrading copper cables to fiber optic cables. Made of glass fiber and plastic, fiber optic cables provide faster internet speeds, require less maintenance, and cannot be resold. Telecommunications company Optimum is labeling some cables in high-risk areas with "fiber optic only" to deter theft.

Legal sanctions have also been strengthened. Fourteen U.S. states have enacted new laws this year to crack down on copper theft, and some states, including California and Texas, now require scrap yards to collect data on copper sellers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.