News: Over 5,000 Comcast customers in Berkeley lose internet after fiber cables are vandalized

Internet access discussion, including Fusion, IP Broadband, and Gigabit Fiber!
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by digitalbitstream » Wed Sep 27, 2023 10:28 pm
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/09/25 ... -vandalism

Between 5,000 and 6,000 Comcast customers in Berkeley lost internet, TV and other services Sunday night after vandals damaged multiple lines of fiber optic cables. Comcast did not have an estimated time to restore service as of early Monday evening.

“Comcast technicians are on site and have begun working immediately to identify, repair and restore services to customers in the region,” said Jon Koriel, a spokesperson for the internet company. “Our teams are currently working with local authorities to determine the cause of the vandal act and to prevent further acts of vandalism.”

Comcast provides Xfinity internet service to many in Berkeley. Koriel said he couldn’t say exactly where the vandalism occurred for safety reasons.
by dane » Thu Sep 28, 2023 1:03 am
Ouch, that’s rough. Sometimes vandals damage or remove sections of cable because they think they contain copper which they hope to sell to recyclers. Fiber though has no value so it’s pointless.

We haven’t been affected by vandalism or intentional damage, but gunfire has damaged cables a few times resulting in small localized outages. Squirrels are also a nuisance as they sometimes gnaw on cables.

Overall though, fiber is far more reliable than old copper cable, which is susceptible to water damage and corrosion. Glass fiber-optic cable is impervious to these issues.
Dane Jasper
Sonic
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