Customers across Moore County lost internet service Sunday after Spectrum confirmed two intentional cuts to its fiber-optic lines. Deputies and Spectrum crews responded along Old Morganton Road near Morganton Road in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The outage stretched from Pinehurst to Carthage after Spectrum alarms flagged the disruption before 4 a.m., and repairs were expected by 6 p.m. Authorities said a reward of up to $25,000 is being offered.
Crews found two cut points roughly 100 feet apart and about 35 feet above ground. County officials warned some Spectrum phone customers they might be unable to call or text 911 and advised going to the nearest fire station if needed. Officials described the incident as physical sabotage of critical communications infrastructure that produced a service outage — a blended physical-cyber disruption.
The Communications Sector is designated critical infrastructure by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and federal and industry briefings have highlighted a rise in theft and vandalism against networks, with at least 5,770 incidents in late 2024 and more than 15,000 by mid-2025. The incident recalls the 2022 gunfire attacks on Moore County electrical substations that cut power to about 45,000 customers for days.
Similar fiber vandalism has hit Los Angeles, San Antonio, Kansas City and Dallas this year, often prompting Spectrum to post $25,000 rewards.
