Police are investigating after vandalism to a communications tower at Hexham caused a major Optus outage across the Hunter region on Wednesday.
The tower, located along Maitland Road, was reportedly damaged about 9.30am, triggering widespread disruption to mobile and internet services in parts of the Hunter, including Maitland, Port Stephens, and Newcastle.
Some residents also reported difficulties contacting emergency services through Triple Zero (000).
Officers from Newcastle City Police District responded around 3.15pm after the damage was discovered. A crime scene was established and specialist forensic officers attended the site.
Optus confirmed its services in the Hunter were disrupted following what it described as a deliberate act of vandalism. Technicians have since restored service, and an investigation is now underway to determine who is responsible.
Police are appealing for anyone with information or dashcam footage from the Maitland Road area between 9am and 10am Wednesday to contact Newcastle Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
