A recent article from Fierce Network laid bare the growing problem of intentional fiber cable cuts in the United States. In the second half of 2024 alone, US ISPs reported 5,700 instances of infrastructure damage. In June 2025, cuts in Van Nuys, California caused outages for over 50,000 residential subscribers and 500 business, including emergency services and a military base.
The most frustrating thing? Many of these incidents happen because would-be thieves mistake the fiber cables for copper which they hope to sell. But what, if anything, can operators do to better protect their infrastructure and limit the occurrence and impact of such events?
1. Use aerial MicroDucts for extra protection and capacity
While conduit is more commonly associated with cable protection in underground deployments, it can also be used aerially. A lashed or self-supporting bundle of MicroDucts, like Dura-Line’s Future Path Aerial or FuturePath Figure-8, provides a first line of defence against cuts. Moreover, its appearance – obviously not a copper cable – may provide a visual deterrent to vandals looking for metal to steal.
From a technical perspective, an aerial MicroDuct bundle can provide more day-one and future capacity than traditional ADSS or Figure-8 cable. Pathways can also be deployed with standard, familiar aerial cable equipment and installation methods. And, once in place, cable jetting can be completed quickly and safely from the ground.
2. Bury aerial cable for even greater security
For a more permanent and secure approach, aerial cables can simply be buried. Aerial cables are often used in the first place to avoid the cost of digging in low-density and/or remote locations, but solutions exist to offset the additional cost of undergrounding. Trenchless installation methods like MicroTrenching, plowing, and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) can all increase the cost- and time-efficiency of a fiber deployment.
Buried infrastructure is also more resilient against wildfire and extreme weather events. California, where some 1,800 of the 5,700 cases of infrastructure damage took place in the second half of 2024, knows the devastating impact of wildfire well. In response to increasing wildfires and extreme weather events, electric utilities in California and across the country are moving their infrastructure where it’s safer: underground. Given the potential for extreme weather damage and vandalism to any infrastructure, the fiber industry would be well-advised to follow power companies in undergrounding as much of their infrastructure as possible.
3. Employ fiber-optic sensing for real-time monitoring and early intervention
The great thing about optical fiber, particularly when installed in a flexible, scalable MicroDuct system, is that it’s inherently multi-use. One such application gaining in popularity is distributed fiber-optic sensing – a technology which turns an individual strand within an optical cable into a sensor. A device known as an interrogator monitors that fiber by sending pulses of light along its length, detecting any changes in the light. External factors like temperature, strain, or vibration can be monitored in this way.
Fiber sensing is a versatile technology with virtually countless applications across a wide array of industries. And because every meter can be used to continuously monitor digging and tampering on or near a fiber line, ISPs can gain additional peace-of-mind via earlier detection in possible cases of vandalism.