America’s broadband infrastructure is under unprecedented criminal attack by increasing levels of vandalism, leaving critical emergency services offline, hospitals struggling to function, law enforcement and government services disrupted and communities vulnerable. In response, the broadband industry has launched STRIKE (Strategic Threat Response and Infrastructure Knowledge Exchange), an urgent initiative aimed at confronting what is increasingly recognised as a serious national security crisis. For example, 5,770 criminal acts of theft and vandalism were reported from June to December 2024 – approximately 824 per month affecting over 1.5 million customers.
Co-led by industry leaders SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs, and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, STRIKE represents a first-of-its-kind executive-level coalition addressing the alarming spike in criminal attacks on essential broadband infrastructure. Many of these incidents go beyond mere acts of vandalism, as they are deliberate assaults that disrupt key facilities including US military bases, 911 services, fire and police departments, healthcare facilities, law enforcement, government services and agencies, and educational and financial institutions endangering public safety and interrupting economic activity.
“A threat to broadband infrastructure is a threat to our national security,” emphasised Maria Popo, President and CEO of SCTE. “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.”
Rikin Thakker, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of NCTA – The Internet and Television Association, underscored the urgency: “This isn’t simply an industry issue; it’s a nationwide emergency. STRIKE will mobilise our collective strength, aligning policy advocacy with strategic operations to strengthen our efforts to protect America’s critical communications infrastructure.”
Building on Existing Industry Advocacy
NCTA is leading important efforts in addressing these criminal threats to broadband infrastructure through its expertise in public policy and advocating for federal legislation such as H.R. 2784 – Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025 – that would amend Title 18 of the US Code to ensure that attacks on public and private networks are treated equally and carry appropriate penalties. NCTA has also taken the lead in encouraging agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to increase intelligence sharing, treat these infrastructure attacks as domestic terrorism when the facts warrant and allocate more resources to high-incident regions.
Initiatives such as the Telecom Industry Summit on Protecting Critical Communications Infrastructure and various technical working groups continue to highlight broadband infrastructure damage and destruction as a national security issue and position the industry to respond effectively and collectively, bringing together various industry groups, legislators and federal and local law enforcement agencies. The newly launched STRIKE initiative complements NCTA’s ongoing work, building upon its foundation to provide a unified voice to government stakeholders.
Industry Leaders Take Charge
The STRIKE Executive Forum draws senior executives from leading broadband operators including, but not limited to, Comcast, Charter, Altice USA, CableOne, Cox, GCI, Mediacom and Rogers. Comcast’s Elad Nafshi, serving as chair, and Charter Communications’ Tom Monaghan, as vice chair, highlight the industry’s unified commitment to strategic coordination and rapid response.
High-Stakes Objectives
STRIKE’s core mission is ambitious and urgent:
- 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 defence strategy.
- Establish clear, unified communication with government stakeholders.
STRIKE will leverage SCTE’s operational expertise to surface cross-operator insights that strengthen broadband resilience. For decades, SCTE has set essential industry standards that help providers assess business impacts, gain secure access to incident areas, coordinate effectively with federal agencies, evaluate location-specific risks and maintain continuity and rapid recovery during crises. Public awareness efforts, such as the Don’t Cut Cable campaign, further protect vital infrastructure by enlisting communities in safeguarding broadband networks. STRIKE builds on this foundation, uniting executive leadership to accelerate best-practice adoption and deliver a coordinated, national security–driven strategy.
Senior broadband executives are urged to join this pivotal effort. For more details or to participate, contact strike@scte.org.
Visit https://www.ncta.com and https://www.scte.org
