Arsonists Attack Openreach Broadband Cabinets in Essex UK

Three of Openreach’s street cabinets, and an unrelated mobile phone mast in Chelmsford (Essex), have been seriously damaged after arsonists attacked them this morning, which has sadly left almost 3,000 premises (homes and businesses) without access to either broadband or phone connectivity during a pandemic!

At this stage it’s not known why the critical telecoms infrastructure was attacked, although the inclusion of a nearby mobile mast means that suspicions may well end up being focused toward radical COVID-19 conspiracy theorists.

Supporters of such twisted beliefs tend to ignore common sense and instead believe that the new generation of 5G based mobile signals have helped to create or directly transmit the virus, which is impossible. Both ideas are as preposterous as they are lacking in any credible scientific foundation (see our fact check).

Sadly, such groups have consistently encouraged attacks against mobile infrastructure and engineers, although they often end up targeting fixed line connectivity to local homes too, which may frequently have nothing to do with the leased lines used for backhaul to mobile sites.

Leaving aside the fact that a biological virus couldn’t be more different from electromagnetic radio waves, or that COVID-19 is spreading just as fast in countries and areas with no 5G or mobile signal at all. The one sure way to actually hurt people during a very real global pandemic is by breaking the law, committing arson and cutting off the ability of people to communicate.

Kevin Murphy, Openreach’s MD for Fibre Network Delivery, said:

“Our network in Chelmsford was attacked by arsonists in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaving around 2,700 without phone and broadband services. Engineers are working hard to resolve the situation, but it is a complex fix and may take several days.

Attacks on our equipment are deeply concerning, especially considering so many people are relying on their broadband during lockdown to work, home school and stay connected with loved ones. We know how frustrating this must be for those affected and we’ll be doing what we can to prioritise fixes for vulnerable customers and key local services. We’d ask that anyone experiencing any disruption to report it to their service provider who will then inform us.

Our Security team is working with the relevant authorities to make sure that this incident is fully investigated and those responsible are held to account.”

In this case the attack occurred near to the Tesco/Miami Roundabout in Chelmsford and significant repairs may take a long time to fully complete. How long is difficult to judge, although we’re almost certainly talking several days to even weeks, rather than hours, for a full resolution.

We should point out that last year saw a number of people being sent to jail for several years following similar attacks (example), although it’s difficult to know precisely how many have so far been prosecuted.