Friday, April 14, 2006

Malicious Fiber Cut in the UK Disrupts Traffic

At 18:13 on April 13th 2006, most of the underground fibre circuits providing telephony and internet services to two major business parks in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire were maliciously severed.

According to Wireless Information Network (WIN), a UK provider of SMS text messaging and Wireless Data Service, roadside cabinets and ducts positioned beneath the pavements and roads in seven separate locations around the Cressex and Knaves Beech Business Parks in High Wycombe were attacked, seemingly simultaneously, between 6.05pm and 6.25pm on Thursday evening, as most businesses had wound down for the Easter holidays. Armoured fibre-optic and copper cabling, designed to prevent damage from accidents and petty vandalism, were severed, most probably using industrial cable cutters and saws.

The incident is believed to have affected thousands of businesses, as the business parks house scores of companies across the IT, service and manufacturing industries, including an NHS diagnostics centre, a Royal Mail sorting office, Dreams plc, OneTel Business Communications, Walters Microsystems and WIN plc.

Services to WIN plc. have now been restoredhttp://www.winplc.net