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A significant internet outage affected Spectrum customers in Los Angeles and surrounding areas on Sunday. The disruption was caused by what Spectrum described as a "criminal act of vandalism." The company reported that vandals intentionally cut fiber optic lines in multiple locations, including Van Nuys, leaving many residents and businesses without service for hours.
Spectrum stated that the vandalism led to a temporary outage for some customers, with more than 25,000 users reporting issues on DownDetector.com. The company is actively working with the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate the incident and has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest.
According to Fox News, Spectrum highlighted that such acts of vandalism are becoming more common in the telecommunications industry, largely due to the rising prices of precious metals. However, Spectrum clarified that their fiber lines do not contain copper, which is often targeted for theft.
The company expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and assured customers that restoration efforts were underway, with most services being restored by Sunday evening. Despite the progress, repairs are ongoing due to the multiple cuts made to the lines. Spectrum has urged anyone with information about the vandalism to contact them or local law enforcement.