ASHEVILLE - A widespread Spectrum internet outagein Buncombe County has been attributed to a "criminal attack" on the network, in which vandals pulled wires down from a utility pole, according to the company.
The outage was reported at 2:30 a.m. Aug. 4 and affected Buncombe County phone services. Workers from Spectrum were on-site working to restore services the morning of Aug. 4, with hopes that the outage would be resolved in the next few hours, Spectrum spokesperson Lara Pritchard told the Citizen Times Aug. 4.
"These attacks disrupt service for residents and businesses in the area. Our technical teams work to restore services as quickly as possible," Pritchard said.
Pritchard said that criminal attacks on communications infrastructure are "a
growing issue" affecting the entire industry and threatening public safety.
The broader telecommunications industry experienced 18,327 attacks in 2025, a 59% increase from 2024, affecting 11.8 million customers across the country, Pritchard said.
"Unfortunately, in many instances, thieves are cutting lines, assuming there’s copper, only to realize Spectrum’s fiber optic cable contains none," she said.
Spectrum reported a separate incident in Charlotte on Aug. 3 after someone cut a fiber optic line on Washington Boulevard, according to WSOC-TV.
Spectrum is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest of those involved in the vandalism.
"Anyone with information on this criminal attack can contact Spectrum at 833-404-TIPS (8477) or reach out to local law enforcement," Pritchard said.
Kara Fohner is the Public Safety Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email her at kfohner@usatodayco.com or call her at 980-241-8671.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Spectrum says Buncombe outage caused by 'criminal attack'
