US broadband industry launches strike initiative to combat infrastructure attacks

The US broadband industry launched the Strategic Threat Response and Infrastructure Knowledge Exchange (Strike) to address escalating criminal attacks on broadband infrastructure that leave emergency services offline and disrupt hospitals, law enforcement, and government services.

What happened

CableLabs subsidiary SCTE and NCTA are addressing criminal attacks on broadband infrastructure under their Strike initiative. The initiative confronts what the industry recognizes as a serious national security crisis.

Between June and December 2024, attackers committed 5,770 criminal acts of theft and vandalism, averaging 824 incidents per month and affecting more than 1.5 million customers. These incidents go beyond vandalism to include deliberate assaults disrupting US military bases, 911 services, fire and police departments, healthcare facilities, law enforcement, government services, agencies, educational institutions, and financial institutions.

Strike's executive forum draws senior executives from Comcast, Charter, Altice USA, CableOne, Cox, GCI, Mediacom and Rogers. Comcast's Elad Nafshi serves as chair and Charter Communications' Tom Monaghan as vice-chair.

Going deeper

Strike operates with four core missions:

• Spotlight broadband damage and destruction as a top-tier national security threat
• Facilitate intelligence sharing to quickly identify and mitigate emerging threats
• Integrate policy advocacy, technical standards and operational protocols into a cohesive national defense strategy
• Establish clear, unified communication with government stakeholders

NCTA brings public policy expertise and advocates for federal legislation ensuring attacks on public and private networks receive equal treatment with appropriate penalties. NCTA encourages agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and FBI to increase intelligence sharing, treat infrastructure attacks as domestic terrorism when warranted, and allocate more resources to high-incident regions.

SCTE contributes operational expertise to surface cross-operator insights strengthening broadband resilience. SCTE sets industry standards helping providers assess business impacts, gain secure access to incident areas, coordinate with federal agencies, evaluate location-specific risks, and maintain continuity during crises.

What was said

NCTA chief technology officer Rik Thakker emphasized the urgency, "This isn't simply an industry issue; it's a nationwide emergency. Strike will mobilize our collective strength, aligning policy advocacy with strategic operations to strengthen our efforts to protect America's critical communications infrastructure."

Strike president and SCTE CEO Maria Popo added, "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."

Why it matters

These broadband infrastructure attacks create a cascade effect across critical services that communities depend on for safety and economic function. When criminals target broadband infrastructure, they simultaneously disable 911 emergency services, disrupt hospital operations, interrupt law enforcement communications, and cut off government services. This represents a shift from isolated network outages to coordinated attacks that can paralyze entire communities' essential services. The formation of Strike signals that the industry now treats these incidents as national security threats rather than routine maintenance issues, potentially leading to stronger federal involvement and harsher penalties for perpetrators.

The bottom line

Strike represents the broadband industry's recognition that infrastructure attacks have evolved from property crimes to national security threats requiring coordinated federal response. Healthcare organizations and other service providers should prepare for potential broadband disruptions that could affect their operations and develop backup communication strategies to maintain services during attacks.

FAQs

Why are criminals increasingly targeting broadband infrastructure?

Criminals view broadband networks as high-value targets because disrupting them impacts essential services and communities.

How do these attacks compare to traditional cyberattacks?

Unlike cyberattacks, these incidents involve physical sabotage such as theft, vandalism, or deliberate damage to infrastructure.

What role might federal law enforcement play in Strike’s efforts?

Agencies like the FBI and DHS may increase intelligence sharing and treat severe attacks as domestic terrorism.

How does broadband infrastructure impact healthcare specifically?

Hospitals rely on broadband for telehealth, patient records, and emergency coordination, making outages highly disruptive.