Verizon Service Restored After Vandals Cut Fiber Cables, Outages Sweep SoCal

Verizon outages swept Southern California on Sunday, caused by vandals who cut multiple fiber cables, according to a company spokesperson.

The service interruptions affected some mobile and home internet customers in the region, but service was restored by 7:30 p.m., the spokesperson said.

“Acts of network theft and vandalism represent a direct threat to the safety and security of our communities,” according to the spokesperson. “These are not simple property crimes; they are dangerous disruptions that cut off vital lifelines for our first responders and public safety officials who rely on constant connectivity.”

The spokesperson said law enforcement was "engaged" in response to the incident. Anyone who saw the vandalism was encouraged by Verizon to report it immediately to local law enforcement.

"We are actively collaborating with industry partners and law enforcement agencies to push for stricter laws and stronger enforcement to protect this critical infrastructure," the spokesperson said.

Outage tracking website Downdetector showed elevated reports of problems with Verizon on Sunday, with reports peaking in the late morning to early afternoon, when the number of problem reports hovered around 700. Downdetector showed that reports were mostly for mobile phone service, with some 5G and mobile internet reports as well.

"We know how much people rely on Verizon and appreciate your patience while we worked to restore service," the spokesperson said.

For updates on local service, customers were advised to visit verizon.com/support/check-network-status/.