Well, as a slightly lighter (jovial) addition to this thread....wouldn't the same thing occur if someone started walking around data centers with HERF (electro magentic) guns? Those are nice enough to shut off all electronic devices almost as well as a nuclear explosion (without the mass carnage).

Since the comptuers and routers would go down --- just immagine all the capacity lying around in that dark fiber....mmmm.....

Which brings to mind another quick thought: Do any of you ever wonder (like I do) why the Fiber lines for universities are just so hard to splice into and leech off of?