AT&T Offers Reward in Missouri to Combat Copper Cable Theft

St. Louis, Mo. (KFMO) - AT&T is offering a $10,000 reward in Missouri for information leading to the arrest and conviction of copper cable thieves or those attempting to buy or sell stolen copper.

The company says the rise in copper theft and vandalism has caused significant damage to its network, leading to outages and costly repairs. In some cases, fiber cables have also been damaged when thieves mistake them for copper.

AT&T notes the value of copper has climbed in recent years, with scrap prices averaging between $3.20 and $4 per pound depending on type and purity.

The company is also phasing out most of its copper lines by 2029 as part of a nationwide transition to fiber.