From the sounds of it the act was co-ordinated by people who knew just which lines to cut at each location. If it was random vandals they would likely have just cut everything inside the access points. If somebody wanted to do serious damage the destruction of the manways would be on the list too so that the repair crews would be denied easy access to the damage.

So what can be done to prepare for such interruptions?
More radio links, more lines, better security?
What about for small business and private citizens?
Carry some cash, have a personal radio?
Maybe some prearranged plans for what your family should do if it happens are a good idea?

Because other than that I don't see much. I am not going to be the one trying to change how the phone companies run their lines or guard their manways to access those lines.

Having a small radio set is a possible response for me, but I don't know how much more I could do than that.

Does anybody have any other ideas because to me the basic problem is the same whether the damage is from people or a storm.
You lose communications and that includes forcing most businesses to shut until it is restored.