Wave of Costly Copper Thefts Threatens Public Safety, Experts Say
12th January 2026
With copper prices at new highs, attacks on communications and power networks have sharply increased, and telecommunications companies, power suppliers, and construction firms are sounding the alarm.
Copper was trading at roughly $6 per pound or $12,000 a ton at midday on Jan. 7, a more than 30 percent year-over-year increase, according to industry analyst MarketWatch.
The increase in price contributed to the more than 15,540 copper theft incidents in 2025, according to a report by the U.S. Telecommunication Association. The volume of thefts during the first half of the year was double the previous period.
“Today, bad actors typically target communications lines in search of copper,” the report stated.