AT&T confirms copper wire theft cut off Hollywood Hills landlines

AT&T has confirmed that a copper wire theft is the cause of a landline outage affecting residents in the Hollywood Hills. The service disruption began last Thursday, leaving neighbors without a primary means of communication.

The carrier stated that its crews are currently working to restore service. The company did not specify how many customers were impacted or provide a timeline for when phones would start working again. It identified the issue as related to an ongoing theft of copper in the area.

Residents in the Laurel Canyon section have relied on landlines as a backup during emergencies. Ruth Vitale, a resident since 1988, noted that the area suffers from cell service dead zones. She described the loss of connectivity as terrifying and said she pays $228 per month to maintain the service for these situations.

Kristen Stavola, executive director of the nonprofit We Are Laurel Canyon, emphasized the risk to older residents. She said that 80- and 90-year-olds in the community cannot call family or report emergencies without a working landline. The group noted that the neighborhood has experienced power outages lasting days, which can disable other communication methods.

Vitale pointed to a storm two years ago that cut electricity for four days, rendering phones useless. She said this experience contributes to her anxiety about losing service. The nonprofit advocates for public safety in the historic neighborhood and highlighted the dependence on wired connections in the hilly terrain.