From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A widespread Spectrum internet and phone outage across Buncombe County about 2:30 a.m. Aug. 4 was caused by a criminal act of vandalism on London Road in South Asheville, where wires and fiber optic cables were pulled down from a utility pole, Patrick Paterno, senior director of field communications for Spectrum, noted in an official statement.

Spectrum’s service in the county reportedly was fully restored by 4:05 p.m. Aug. 4.

 Following is a summary of the impact of the outage:

• Public services: Buncombe County administrative phone lines and non-emergency services were temporarily disrupted, although emergency 911 dispatch remained fully functional. 

• Local businesses: Downtown Asheville restaurants, medical offices like Novant Health Surgical Partners, and remote workers experienced widespread internet and communication disruptions. 

• Motive and industry trends: Spectrum’s statement noted that thieves frequently target and cut lines mistakenly believing they contain valuable copper, even though fiber optic cables contain none. The company also pointed out that the telecom industry faced more than 18,000 such criminal attacks in 2025.

  Spectrum is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the Buncombe County vandalism.To that end, anyone with information can contact Spectrum’s tip line at 833-404-TIPS (8477), or reach out to the Asheville Police Department.

Meanwhile, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Aug. 4 that it spoke with “restaurant workers who said losing Wi-Fi can be devastating and that they use it for just about everything, from clocking in, to tracking orders and reservations, to checking out customers.

“‘Everything is digital here,’” Haddie Herr, a hostess at The Blackbird Restaurant in downtown Asheville, showing News 13 the handwritten notes she kept during the Aug. 4 Spectrum internet outage. 

“Herr said that, luckily, the restaurant’s backup point-of-sale system came up just in time for them to open, but she still had to rely on a piece of paper to keep track of customers and orders,” News 13 stated.

“‘It felt very old school. I’ve never had to do this before,’” Herr told the TV station.

“She added that Tuesday (Aug. 4) was very quiet, with phones not ringing.

“‘I bet I’m going to have to go through a lot of voicemails later, though,’” Herr said.

What’s more, News 13’s “Comment Bubble” appearing after its story included the following assertions:

• WindRidge — “London Road. Guess who?”

• AintRight — “I give up. Who?”

• WindRidge — “Clue: It’s in the ‘hood.’”

• whatscreenname — “>12 <14.”