Hollywood Hills residents woke up to a sudden loss of landline service on Wednesday after AT&T confirmed that a copper wire theft disrupted the network serving the neighborhood. The outage, which began Thursday, has left many families without a reliable way to call for help during emergencies, a critical concern in an area where cell service is spotty.
Longtime locals stress the importance of landlines
“It’s terrifying. Honestly, it is. I go to bed I’m slightly anxious,” said Ruth Vitale, a resident of the Laurel Canyon section of the Hollywood Hills since 1988. Vitale, who pays $228 a month to keep her landlines active, explained that the phones are a lifeline during power outages and severe weather. “When the electricity goes out during a storm, which it did for four days two years ago, your phone won’t work,” she added.
Local nonprofit We Are Laurel Canyon, which advocates for public safety in the historic neighborhood, reported that the phones stopped working last Thursday. Executive director Kristen Stavola highlighted the vulnerability of the community’s older residents: “We’ve got some 80- or 90-year-old people who, in an emergency, cannot call their family; they cannot contact anyone to say that something has happened. This is an area filled with dead zones for cell service, and this is why people are so attached to their landlines.”
AT&T’s response
AT&T has not disclosed how many customers were affected, but the company confirmed that the disruption is linked to an “ongoing copper theft in the area.” The telecom provider said crews are actively working to restore service to the affected households. No specific timeline for full restoration was provided.
Residents are urged to stay informed through community channels and to consider alternative communication methods, such as battery‑powered radios, until the landline network is repaired. The incident underscores the broader issue of infrastructure vulnerability in neighborhoods that lack robust cellular coverage.
What this means for the community
While many households have moved away from landline phones, the Hollywood Hills example shows that for some, especially seniors and families in remote pockets, the traditional telephone remains essential. The outage has sparked renewed discussion about the need for reliable emergency communication options in areas where modern wireless networks fall short.
Local officials have not yet commented, but community leaders are pressing AT&T for a swift resolution and for measures to prevent future thefts that jeopardize public safety.
Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.
