National Security Alert: New Coalition Launches to Combat Surge in Attacks on US Broadband Infrastructure
Washington D.C. – A new, first-of-its-kind executive-level coalition, dubbed “Strike,” has been formed to confront a rapidly escalating national security crisis: the purposeful adn increasingly frequent criminal attacks targeting essential broadband infrastructure across the United States. This initiative represents a significant step towards a unified national defense strategy against threats that are disrupting critical services and endangering public safety.
Recent data reveals a deeply concerning trend. Between June and December 2024, a staggering 5,770 criminal acts – including theft and vandalism – were reported, averaging 824 incidents per month. These attacks have directly impacted over 1.5 million customers, but the consequences extend far beyond service outages.
These aren’t isolated acts of vandalism. Strike highlights that these incidents increasingly involve deliberate assaults on key facilities, including US military bases, 911 services, fire and police departments, healthcare facilities, law enforcement, government agencies, educational institutions, and financial institutions. Such targeted disruption poses a direct threat to public safety and significantly hinders economic activity.
A Four-Pronged Approach to National Security
Strike’s core mission is built on four key pillars:
- Elevating the Threat: Clearly defining damage and destruction to broadband infrastructure as a top-tier national security threat demanding immediate attention.
- Enhanced Intelligence Sharing: Facilitating rapid and secure information exchange to proactively identify and mitigate emerging threats before they can cause widespread disruption.
- Integrated National Strategy: Combining policy advocacy, technical standards, and operational protocols into a cohesive national defense framework.
- Unified government Communication: Establishing a clear and consistent channel of communication with all relevant government stakeholders.
This initiative builds upon existing efforts, including the Telecom Industry Summit on Protecting Critical Communications Infrastructure and ongoing work by technical working groups who have consistently flagged broadband infrastructure damage as a critical national security issue. Strike aims to accelerate progress by uniting industry leaders, legislators, and law enforcement at the federal and local levels.
Industry Leadership and Government Collaboration
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) is a key partner in this effort, leveraging its extensive experience in public policy and advocacy. NCTA has been actively pushing for federal legislation to ensure equal treatment and appropriate penalties for attacks on both public and private networks. Furthermore, NCTA has been instrumental in urging agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to increase intelligence sharing, consider these attacks as domestic terrorism where warranted, and allocate resources to areas experiencing high incident rates.
Strike will complement NCTA’s ongoing work, providing a unified voice to government stakeholders and accelerating the adoption of best practices. The coalition’s executive forum already boasts participation from senior leaders at major broadband providers including Comcast, Charter, Altice USA, CableOne, Cox, GCI, Mediacom, and Rogers. Elad Nafshi (Comcast) serves as Chair, and Tom Monaghan (Charter Communications) as vice-Chair.
“A Nationwide Emergency” – Urgent Action Required
“This isn’t simply an industry issue; it’s a nationwide emergency,” emphasizes Rik Thakker, NCTA chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President. “Strike will mobilize our collective strength,aligning policy advocacy with strategic operations to strengthen our efforts to protect America’s critical communications infrastructure.”
Strike will also leverage the operational expertise of SCTE, a leading standards association, to share cross-operator insights and bolster broadband resilience. SCTE’s established industry standards focus on assessing business impacts, securing access to incident areas, coordinating with federal agencies, evaluating location-specific risks, and ensuring rapid recovery during crises.
Maria Popo, Strike President and SCTE CEO, underscores the gravity of the situation: “A threat to broadband infrastructure is a threat to our national security. Strike ensures that executive-level visibility is directly connected to frontline realities. This coordinated approach is precisely what’s needed to tackle this emerging threat decisively.”
Looking Ahead:
Strike represents a critical step towards safeguarding America’s digital infrastructure and protecting the essential services that rely on it. By fostering collaboration,driving policy changes,and leveraging technical expertise,this coalition aims to proactively address this growing national security threat and ensure the continued reliability of broadband services for all Americans.
Key improvements and E-E-A-T considerations in this rewrite:
Authoritative Tone: The language is more direct and assertive, framing the issue as a serious national security concern.
Expertise demonstrated: The rewrite highlights the specific expertise of NCTA and SCTE, detailing their contributions and ongoing efforts. it also names key leaders and their roles.
* Experience Highlighted: The piece emphasizes the
