Vincent Mathews Hundreds of homes and businesses across Auckland’s North Shore have faced significant internet disruption after a widespread outage late on Thursday night, 15 May 2025. The incident, which affected areas including Albany and Browns Bay, has been traced to suspected vandalism, with network provider Chorus confirming that six cables were deliberately damaged, leaving around 950 customers without service.
What Happened?
The outage began late Thursday, with residents and businesses suddenly losing their internet connections. Chorus, which manages much of New Zealand’s broadband infrastructure, reported that both copper and fibre connections were affected-about 450 copper and 500 fibre lines in total. Technicians responded to the scene shortly after midnight and discovered that six network cables had been cut or otherwise damaged.
Due to health and safety concerns at the site, full repair work could not begin until early Friday morning. Chorus field teams have since been working “around the clock” to restore service, prioritising repairs based on the number of customers affected by each cable. As of Saturday morning, around 150 connections had been restored, with work ongoing to bring the remainder back online.
Vandalism Suspected
Chorus has stated that the nature and extent of the cable damage strongly suggest it was an act of vandalism. This is particularly concerning for both the company and the wider community, as fibre cables do not hold the resale value that old copper lines once did, making the motivation behind the attack unclear. The Technology Users Association of New Zealand described the incident as “concerning,” especially given the disruption caused to important businesses in the affected areas.
This is not the first time Auckland has suffered such an incident. Eight months ago, a similar act of vandalism caused an outage for about 3,000 customers in Māngere Bridge and Onehunga. In both cases, the deliberate targeting of network infrastructure has raised questions about security and resilience in New Zealand’s digital networks.
Impact on Residents and Businesses
The outage has left many North Shore residents and businesses frustrated, with some still without internet more than 24 hours after the initial disruption. Social media has been filled with complaints and requests for information, as affected customers struggled to work from home, run businesses, or simply stay connected with family and friends.
Businesses in Albany and Browns Bay, including those relying on EFTPOS and online bookings, have been particularly hard hit. The disruption has highlighted the dependence of modern communities on reliable internet access, and the vulnerability of that access to deliberate sabotage.
The Repair Process
Restoring service after such an incident is a complex and time-consuming process. Chorus technicians must carefully splice and re-join individual fibre connections-a task described as “meticulous work in difficult conditions and location.” The company has apologised for the inconvenience and assured customers that every effort is being made to restore connectivity as quickly as possible.
Chorus has also encouraged customers to check their online outage map for updates and to report any ongoing issues. Other major providers, including Spark, 2degrees, and One NZ, have also provided status updates and troubleshooting advice for those affected.
Ongoing Investigation and Security Concerns
Police have been notified and are investigating the incident as a suspected case of vandalism. The repeated targeting of network infrastructure has prompted calls for better security measures and increased vigilance across the telecommunications sector.
Industry leaders have pointed out that while physical infrastructure is generally robust, it remains vulnerable to deliberate attacks. They are urging both network operators and the government to review security protocols and consider additional protections for critical digital infrastructure.
What Can Be Done?
- Enhanced Security: Increased surveillance and physical security at key network sites may help deter future attacks.
- Rapid Response: Continued investment in rapid response teams and improved diagnostics can reduce downtime when outages occur.
- Public Awareness: Encouraging the public to report suspicious activity near network infrastructure could help prevent future incidents.
- Policy Review: The government may need to review penalties for vandalism targeting critical infrastructure and consider legislative changes to better protect digital networks.
Summary
A major internet outage on Auckland’s North Shore has disrupted service to nearly 950 homes and businesses, with suspected vandalism identified as the cause. Chorus and other providers are working to restore connections, but the incident has raised serious questions about the security and resilience of New Zealand’s telecommunications infrastructure. As repairs continue, the focus is on both restoring service and preventing similar disruptions in the future.
