Boy's 'fire causes NSW network outage'

A 12-year-old boy's alleged arson attack on a telecommunications pit has caused a massive outage on the north coast of NSW.

Police say the blaze, which began at a pit in Purfleet near Taree on Wednesday evening, severely damaged the cables and disrupted the Telstra network for several hours.

The boy who allegedly started the fire was arrested on Thursday and he will be dealt with under youth laws.