AT&T Restores Hammond Internet After 1-Week Outage as Louisiana Logs 206 Copper Thefts in 2026
Updated
Updated · WBRZ · Jul 15
AT&T Restores Hammond Internet After 1-Week Outage as Louisiana Logs 206 Copper Thefts in 2026
3 articles · Updated · WBRZ · Jul 15
Summary
AT&T crews repaired cable lines in Hammond's North Coburn Road area on Wednesday, restoring internet service after residents spent about a week offline following a copper theft.
JC Watts said crews arrived after WBRZ's report, with old cable removed and AT&T giving residents a Wednesday afternoon restoration timeline.
Louisiana's broader problem is growing: AT&T reported 466 theft-related network failures across 2025 and 2026, including 206 copper-theft incidents this year alone.
No arrests have been made in the Hammond or Kentwood thefts, and Tangipahoa authorities are still investigating the North Coburn Road case.
Act 774, signed in June and taking effect Aug. 1, will require fingerprints, photos and daily transaction records for copper and brass sales to make stolen metal harder to resell.