20,000 Optimum customers in Georgetown, Texas, lost internet service after criminals damaged fiber lines near I-35 and Northwest Boulevard early Monday, with T-Mobile users and some 911 connections also disrupted.
More than $100,000 in damage was caused by thieves apparently hunting for copper, even though Optimum said its fiber network contains no copper and has no resale value once cut.
Optimum said repair crews responded immediately, but restoration takes time because dozens of hair-thin fiber strands must be individually spliced back together.
Georgetown police are reviewing surveillance footage to identify the suspects as telecom providers face a broader surge in infrastructure vandalism, with more than 18,000 copper-theft incidents reported in 2025.
The outage comes as industry groups hold a July 15 network-vandalism summit and lawmakers push a bill to toughen penalties for damaging broadband infrastructure.