Spectrum officials reportedly ratcheted their rhetoric after being clearly deliberately slashed at the San Fernando Valley fiber optic line.
Initially, the company called Van Nuiss’ 13 cables a vandalism. This left over 50,000 people in Los Angeles and Ventura counties without accessing the internet for up to 30 hours.
But those affected were “a cell tower providing US military bases, emergency dispatches, 911 communications services, local fire stations, financial institutions, courts, medical facilities and hospitals, educational institutions and mobile services,” said in a news release.
Because of these victims and the “natural nature of the fiber cutting” and “area of damage,” Spectrum’s parent company Charter Communications said “it was considered a June 15 attack… it was considered a domestic terrorist act.”
“These criminal attacks on our country’s critical communications networks are intentional and cause life-rising halts,” said Chris Winfrey, president and CEO of Charter Communications. “This is a widespread and lasting threat to American families and businesses across the country that such life-threatening events should declare domestic terrorist acts and be prosecuted accordingly.
“This requires immediate attention from felony, committed involvement from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and aggressive prosecution that causes these offences to create a dangerous situation that results from these suspensions.”
The release also included a statement from LA City Councilman John Lee. He said such incidents “pose a serious threat to national security and, as a result, impose a significant financial burden on taxpayers and local governments while affecting military bases and emergency services.”
“These disruptions divert important resources and have widespread consequences,” he added. “Protecting communication infrastructure is essential to creating a safe and resilient community. We are urging everyone to be vigilant about incidents related to this widespread issue, take proactive action, and report promptly.”
Remuneration up to $25,000 can be used for information that leads to perpetrators who cut down on telecommunications lines.
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