Residents in South Dallas are facing ongoing frustrations as some AT&T customers in the area are experiencing days-long phone and internet outages due to thieves stealing copper wire. Reginald Terry, a resident of Green Hill Road in South Oak Cliff, shared his experience of intermittent service disruptions since the spring, with neighbors echoing similar complaints.
Despite efforts to report the outages to AT&T customer service, residents were initially told that the issues were due to weather conditions. It wasn’t until Terry encountered an AT&T technician who revealed the true cause – copper wire theft. The theft not only affects residents’ ability to use essential services but also poses a safety concern with alarm systems being compromised.
AT&T has acknowledged the problem and is working with local law enforcement to investigate and address the theft of critical communications infrastructure. However, residents like Terry are calling for more action and a lasting solution to prevent future incidents.
For now, Terry and his neighbors are making do with makeshift solutions, such as listening to sports games on the radio during outages. They are hopeful that AT&T and authorities will prioritize finding the culprits and implementing measures to ensure uninterrupted service for affected customers.
As the community continues to grapple with the impact of the copper wire thefts, residents are highlighting the urgent need for a resolution to prevent further disruptions to their daily lives. NBC 5 has reached out to Dallas police for their response to the concerns raised by residents and is awaiting a reply.
