LOUISVILLE, Colo.—Faced with an increased number of attacks and a growing problem with vandalism of key telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S., the broadband industry has launched STRIKE (Strategic Threat Response & Infrastructure Knowledge Exchange), an urgent initiative that will confront what the industry calls an increasingly serious national security crisis.
In launching the effort, the industry cited data showing that there were 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 executive-level coalition that aims to address the alarming spike in criminal attacks on essential broadband infrastructure.
The group stressed that many of these incidents go beyond mere acts of vandalism, as they're deliberate assaults that disrupt key facilities including U.S. 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," emphasized 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 added that “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."
The NCTA said it is 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 U.S. 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.
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.
The participants described STRIKE’s core mission as follows:
- 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.
STRIKE said that it 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.
STRIKE reported that it will hold its first strategic meeting at TechExpo25, SCTE's industry event, providing a critical platform for participants to set the strategic vision and drive immediate impact.
Senior broadband executives are urged to join this pivotal effort. For more details or to participate, contact strike@scte.org.
