Malicious Fibre Break Disrupts Virgin Media Broadband Near Manchester
Customers of UK ISP Virgin Media’s broadband network in and around the Manchester area (Burnley) are currently suffering from internet connectivity problems after several fibre optic cables were damaged in the area. A separate cable break also appears to have occurred in the Birmingham area, which has added some further disruption.
The issue in Burnley appears to have started just after 9pm last night. A spokesperson for Virgin Media said: “We’re aware of an issue affecting services for customers in the Manchester area which has been caused by a break in a fibre cable. Our engineers have been working flat out overnight to repair the damaged fibres and will continue to do so to restore services as quickly as possible.”
The exact cause of the incident in Manchester is still being investigated, although ISPreview understands that the damage is currently believed to have been malicious. A total of 8 fibres are understood to have been cut, including an important 288/12f cable. Virgin Media’s engineers have had to install two new chambers, pull fresh fibre cables through and splice all of them back together. This is not a quick fix.
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The good news is that most of the work has now completed, although some issues remain and a rough ETA for the fix seems to be after 4pm. Separately, we’ve noted that one of Virgin Media’s dark fibre cables seems to have been broken in the Birmingham area, although this is currently playing second fiddle to the Burnley incident.
Telecoms infrastructure is protected by strict laws in the UK and the police are likely to be investigating the incident. Sadly, the people who commit such acts rarely have any regard for the serious problems they cause, which can in some cases disrupt more than just internet access (e.g. telecare, access to emergency services etc.).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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They can use some of the money they are overcharging customers out of contract for repairs. Probably some disgruntled customer who has had enough of Virgin Media, not that i condone vandalism i should add.
288/12f is, as I understand it, 24 tubes each containing 12 fibres. So, 24×12=288 fibres. Cable like this is critical in VM’s network and hundreds (and potentially thousands) of customers are without broadband. A 288‑fibre cable is thick and it was certainly cut maliciously.
its not a big cable.. will take seconds to cut through.
Burnley is nowhere near Manchester.