We have heard of thieves heist the copper wiring of telephone and cable networks before. But according to AT&T, the threat has become so serious that the company recorded more than 10,000 cases of copper theft last year.
AT&T security researcher Rahdeese Alcutt recently sounded the alarm about the issue, which can disrupt the carrier’s telecommunications networks, especially its old-school landlines. “As a company, AT&T experienced more than 10,400 incidents of copper theft, with a weekly average of 200 incidents reported nationwide by the end of 2025. Losses for 2025 exceeded $82 million,” he wrote in a blog post.
The problem is particularly acute in California, where AT&T has been requested maintain their traditional copper landlines to ensure residents living in rural and remote areas remain connected. “In California alone, we experienced more than 7,300 incidents of copper theft in 2025, with losses exceeding $54 million,” Alcutt said.
The problem has become “systemic” to the point that AT&T is struggling to keep up. “We cannot repair the damage as quickly as it occurs,” he says. “Some damage goes unnoticed for weeks or months.
“Many of these cases of copper theft do not appear to be specific and opportunistic acts. We are seeing clear evidence of organized crime, such as the use of heavy machinery and coordinated thefts in the same line and at the same time,” he adds.
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The increase in thefts is due to the fact that the price of Copper rose sharply last year. AT&T also previously warned that criminals will attack fiber optic cabling, mistaking it for copper cabling. In response, Alcutt asks the public to contact AT&T Global Security at 1-888-871-2622 or local authorities if they see suspicious activity around telecommunications equipment. AT&T has even been offering rewards of $10,000 and $20,000 for information about the culprits.
In the longer term, AT&T has been labor retire its copper networks throughout the United States by the end of 2029, except in California. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission also adopted new rules aimed at helping businesses accelerate their transition from copper networks. “5% of households in the United States have legacy copper telephone service, and many also have active wireless service,” the commission says.
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But nonprofit Public Knowledge fears FCC order risks disconnect “millions of elderly and disabled people” who still rely on traditional landlines, including for their medical equipment.
“To accelerate the transition, the Order relaxes or eliminates multiple safeguards implemented by previous administrations to ensure that no American or small business with telephone service loses access to 911 or other critical voice services,” the group says. “For example, telephone companies that want to replace rural copper lines with new products will no longer need to conduct engineering tests to demonstrate that alternatives work as well as existing lines.”
However, the FCC says“When a company decides to completely discontinue service, it must notify its customers and obtain permission from the FCC before disabling service. When a telephone company simply stops offering old voice service to new customers, existing customers will continue to receive that service until they no longer want it.”
About our expert
Michael Kan
senior reporter
Experience
I have been a journalist for more than 15 years. I started as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I currently reside in San Francisco, but previously spent more than five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I have covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing more than 600 stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I scoured the FCC files for the latest news and drove to remote corners of California to test Starlink cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. At the beginning of this year, the FTC forced Avast pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly collecting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint report investigation with motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages took me camping in front of Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. Now I’m following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so hit the comments with your feedback and send me tips.
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