Spectrum is offering a $25,000 reward for information after a fiber optic line was intentionally cut early Monday in northeastern Anderson County, South Carolina, causing a spectrum outage near Williamston.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Anyone with information can call Spectrum at 833-404-TIPS (8477) or contact local law enforcement.
Spectrum officials said the cut represents what they call a “criminal attack on infrastructure.” In a statement, the company noted that “criminal attacks on communications infrastructure have become an issue affecting the entire telecommunications industry, not just Spectrum.” Technical crews worked to restore services to affected residents and businesses as quickly as possible.
Intentional cuts to fiber optic lines have become a widespread problem across the United States. According to the National Governors Association, vandalism of telecommunications networks is driven by theft of copper and fiber optic cables for scrap metal. The U.S. Telecom Association reported that critical communications infrastructure experienced more than 5,700 intentional incidents of theft and vandalism between June and December 2024 alone.
In some cases, thieves cut fiber lines mistakenly believing they contain copper. When they discover the lines contain fiber optics instead, the damage is already done. According to AT&T, fiber cables are sometimes positioned close to existing copper cables, causing them to be damaged when thieves cut for copper. Each fiber strand is thinner than a piece of angel hair pasta, and hundreds may need splicing to restore service, according to telecommunications industry sources.
The Anderson County incident follows a pattern of similar attacks on Spectrum infrastructure nationwide. In June 2025, vandals deliberately cut Spectrum fiber optic lines in Los Angeles, causing widespread service disruptions and prompting a $25,000 reward offer. Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company, has characterized such attacks as serious threats to critical infrastructure.
Sources
- FOX Carolina News — Confirmed $25,000 reward offer, intentional fiber line cut on early Monday, outage in northeastern Anderson County near Williamston, Spectrum’s “criminal attack on infrastructure” statement, and investigation by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
- WSPA 7NEWS — Confirmed up to $25,000 reward for information leading to the person responsible for cutting the fiber-optic line in Anderson County.
- WYFF News 4 — Confirmed Spectrum’s $25,000 reward offer after the intentional fiber line cut described as a “criminal attack.”
- National Governors Association — Confirmed that vandalism of telecommunications networks is a growing problem driven by theft of copper and fiber optic cables for scrap metal.
- U.S. Telecom Association — Reported that critical communications infrastructure experienced more than 5,700 intentional incidents of theft and vandalism between June and December 2024.
- Spiceworks — Confirmed AT&T statement that fiber cables are sometimes close to existing copper cables and are damaged when thieves cut for copper.
