Sabotage attacks knock out phone service

[XemaSab]

Vandals cut fiber-optic cable lines belonging to AT&T at two locations early today, knocking out phones and access to 911 emergency services to thousands of residential customers and businesses in southern Santa Clara County, in Santa Cruz and San Benito counties and along the Peninsula, authorities said.

Four AT&T fiber-optic cables in an underground vault were severed shortly before 1:30 a.m. along Monterey Highway north of Blossom Hill Road in south San Jose, police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said. Four more underground cables, at least two of which belong to AT&T, were cut about two hours later along Old County Road near Bing Street in San Carlos, authorities said.

John Britton, spokesman for AT&T, said, "Clearly, we have some vandalism. Someone purposefully and deliberately cut the wires."

He added, "We can't speculate about any connection, but the method of operation appears to be the same."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/09/BAP816VTE6.DTL&tsp=1

[givemebackmycountry]

1. I work for Spr**t and they cut a couple of our cables as well...

I had a VERY interesting day today.

[EFerrari]

2. Turned out to be four locations.

In one of them, someone opened a manhole cover, climbed down 10 feet, stood in three feet of water and sawed at four cables.

[TahitiNut]

3. Somebody knew what they were doing. Disgruntled ex-employee?

It's entirely possible. :shrug:

[EFerrari]

4. Who else would know better what to hit and when?

I worked for a security company for a while and there was more than one time when we thought one of our ex-techs went back to a system and had fun with it.

[XemaSab]

5. Just because the union is PISSED about their health insurance premiums going up

doesn't mean it was an inside job.

:hide:

[napoleon_in_rags]

6. Was this guy seen nearby?

Could be takin' out the competition. ;)

[bridgit]

7. Doubtless possible: 4 vaults, in specific locations along a trunk that branch to several...

services and providers that carpet a highly dense area effecting silicon valley itself what? Let's review: so you just lift 4 - 300lb lids - on 4 - randomly picked vaults - climb down in 'on the QT' with specialized tools and cut the first cables you see? Not likely