America’s communications networks connect far more than homes and businesses—they support emergency response, healthcare, transportation, government operations and other critical services. As attacks on this infrastructure continue to escalate, the consequences extend well beyond damaged cables, disrupting connectivity for millions of Americans and imposing significant economic costs.
Data released at the fourth Telecom Industry Summit: Protecting Critical Communications Infrastructure highlights the scale of the problem and the growing need for stronger protections.
More than 50 attacks occurred every day in 2025, representing a 59% increase over 2024. The record-setting pace underscores the urgent need for stronger protections, tougher enforcement and greater coordination to safeguard critical communications infrastructure.
Nearly 12 million customers experienced service disruptions in 2025 as a result of theft and vandalism targeting communications networks. These outages affected homes, businesses and critical services, including emergency response, healthcare and transportation systems.
A new economic analysis estimates communications outages imposed between $294 million and $1.47 billion in societal costs in 2025. Those losses extend well beyond repair bills, reflecting the economic impact of interrupted business operations, emergency services and everyday connectivity.
Source: Protecting the Nation’s Critical Communications Infrastructure: Emerging Threats & Needed Solutions report and The Real Costs of Communications Outages Due to Infrastructure Theft or Vandalism study
