Copper Cable Thefts (phone lines)

[Washboard Didgets]

Just heard from my ex, she has had no phone/broadband for the last two days in our flat (Crawley Down Village).

She has just been on to the provider, apparently the whole area is affected following a copper cable theft on Thursday which BT are working to repair.

Having had a quick look online this seems to be happening a lot. 4000 homes and businesses in the Byfleet area are also cut off by a theft on Thursday morning where thieves cut through the phone lines with a chainsaw before removing large sections of cable. Also saw other stories, a village in Lincolnshire had been cut off three times in two weeks! And there are plenty more cases listed...

These people are SCUM. They clearly have no regard for the homeowners and businesses they are leaving cut off. Leaving them without landline phone or internet access often in rural areas where mobile signal/data is often patchy or even non-existent. Also the damage done means disruption lasts for 2-3 days whilst the cable is replaced and reconnected.

Don't forget, no phone line also means no 999 calls can be made, so it won't be long before this becomes more than inconvenience. It could end up costing lives.

 

[Springal]

Very common unfortunately, the same pikeys also take fibre optic cabling (which is worthless) from railways

 

[inland seagull]

it was on the news the other day that some pr*ck had electrocuted himself whilst trying to steal copper piping. Had absolutely no sympathy whatsoever, I reckon that they should booby trap the piping in order to take a few more of them out!

 

[KZNSeagull]

At least they are replacing it.

Happened here 2 weeks ago (about 10 kms gone in one night!) and Telkom are doing a feasibility study into the replacement as it may not be economically viable to replace it (we are in a rural area and there are not many subscribers on that bit of line). Will cost them in excess of R100,000 to replace and with the number of subscribers on the line, it will take them years to recoup the cost.

 

[mune ni kamome]

Would be no good stealing it if the scrap merchants didn't accept it with no questions asked.

 

[Uncle Buck]

However as I work for a firm that sells fibre and copper cable, every cloud and all that....

In fairness we have had people try and get into our yard to take drums of the stuff.

 

[Washboard Didgets]

I see that BT are using smartwater to security mark the new cables so it can be traced back if the police come across cable being sold.

I would hope that they are also putting a bit more effort into securing the network more effectively. Some system which alerts them as soon as a major part of the network is disrupted and the police are on the lookout would surely help. After all it can't be a 5 minute job to cut and remove thousands of metres of underground cables.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Would be no good stealing it if the scrap merchants didn't accept it with no questions asked.

That is so correct,why do they not make the scrapdealer responsible for all stolen metal like manhole covers,memorial plaques and make the seller leave name and address.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I see that BT are using smartwater to security mark the new cables so it can be traced back if the police come across cable being sold.

I would hope that they are also putting a bit more effort into securing the network more effectively. Some system which alerts them as soon as a major part of the network is disrupted and the police are on the lookout would surely help. After all it can't be a 5 minute job to cut and remove thousands of metres of underground cables.

The thing is they do not resell the cable, the jackets are stripped and the copper wire removed and often melted down. Also it is very quick to remove any cable, once you have an end, you just pull.

Most networks only look at the internal infrastructure security, hence the ease to take external cable.

The simplest way to solve the issue is to install fibre cable, less material resale.

 

[WhingForPresident]

Happened a few weeks ago where i live in Berkshire. Took a good week to get fixed. Believed to be Eastern European gangs

 

[Washboard Didgets]

The thing is they do not resell the cable, the jackets are stripped and the copper wire removed and often melted down. Also it is very quick to remove any cable, once you have an end, you just pull.

Most networks only look at the internal infrastructure security, hence the ease to take external cable.

The simplest way to solve the issue is to install fibre cable, less material resale.

Are the copper cables and fibre cables that you sell sufficiently different to look at?

eg if Copper has a black jacket does Fibre have a bright blue one with FIBRE OPTIC CABLE printed all along it?! Something obvious so any knuckle-dragging scum who go to steal it realise BEFORE they cut it and start pulling?!

We have got Fibre to Cabinet now in East Grinstead, so I am being upgraded to FTTC Broadband @40mb in the next couple of weeks. Apparently that means the only copper bit is from the green box in my road to my socket.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Are the copper cables and fibre cables that you sell sufficiently different to look at?

eg if Copper has a black jacket does Fibre have a bright blue one with FIBRE OPTIC CABLE printed all along it?! Something obvious so any knuckle-dragging scum who go to steal it realise BEFORE they cut it and start pulling?!

We have got Fibre to Cabinet now in East Grinstead, so I am being upgraded to FTTC Broadband @40mb in the next couple of weeks. Apparently that means the only copper bit is from the green box in my road to my socket.

The jackets are marked, most external cable is black, but they can be any colour. A lot of external copper cable is thicker than fibre and of course much heavier.

Only 40 gig, surely it should be 100gig ready...

 

[Washboard Didgets]

Only 40 gig, surely it should be 100gig ready...

40mb is the maximum they are offering... When I was on the phone to the ISP and he ran the check, he sounded surprised that I could get the full 40mb - as if not all customers can.

Seeing as most of last year I was struggling to get more than 1.5mb and even now I'm only on 5mb I won't be complaining with 40mb.

 

[Uncle Buck]

40mb is the maximum they are offering... When I was on the phone to the ISP and he ran the check, he sounded surprised that I could get the full 40mb - as if not all customers can.

Seeing as most of last year I was struggling to get more than 1.5mb and even now I'm only on 5mb I won't be complaining with 40mb.

The problem is that fibre to the home is in fact fibre to the building, the the last run is copper, so unless the last run is in Cat 7A, there will be a speed loss.

 

[north stand falmer]

Don't see what the problem is. They're allowed to make a living.

 

[Washboard Didgets]

The problem is that fibre to the home is in fact fibre to the building, the the last run is copper, so unless the last run is in Cat 7A, there will be a speed loss.

Well the green cabinet is at the bottom of my road, if I find 40mb insufficient to use NSC I'll get my spade out and start work on a trench to run some Cat 7A cable to my door. Sure the neighbours won't mind me taking a short cut across their front gardens...

 

[slinky]

the company i work for have a rail division, and it is commonly know in the industry, that they nick copper cables from the side of railway lines.

what they tend to do is connect a land rover up to the cable and drag out live cables.

when it snaps and they have got a bloody good length, they coil it up and take it somewhere secluded and pour petrol on to it. this strips the outer jacket, leaving the copper. when cool they gather it up and flog it to scrap yards.

 

[adrian29uk]

Just heard from my ex, she has had no phone/broadband for the last two days in our flat (Crawley Down Village).

She has just been on to the provider, apparently the whole area is affected following a copper cable theft on Thursday which BT are working to repair.

Having had a quick look online this seems to be happening a lot. 4000 homes and businesses in the Byfleet area are also cut off by a theft on Thursday morning where thieves cut through the phone lines with a chainsaw before removing large sections of cable. Also saw other stories, a village in Lincolnshire had been cut off three times in two weeks! And there are plenty more cases listed...

These people are SCUM. They clearly have no regard for the homeowners and businesses they are leaving cut off. Leaving them without landline phone or internet access often in rural areas where mobile signal/data is often patchy or even non-existent. Also the damage done means disruption lasts for 2-3 days whilst the cable is replaced and reconnected.

Don't forget, no phone line also means no 999 calls can be made, so it won't be long before this becomes more than inconvenience. It could end up costing lives.

They are just like the f***ing scum who have got hold of my card details. After a phone call from Barclays today telling me that they have noticed some strange transactions on it.

One transaction for one pound with 02, and another with carphone warehouse for one pound and five pound transaction with the Farm Shop.

They where obviously testing the water. Its too late now because the card is cancelled.

But I would like to get hold of these f***ing shits and get them to pay me for all the hassle I will now have to go through.

This country is full of fraudsters.

 

[meanmachine25]

Well the green cabinet is at the bottom of my road, if I find 40mb insufficient to use NSC I'll get my spade out and start work on a trench to run some Cat 7A cable to my door. Sure the neighbours won't mind me taking a short cut across their front gardens...

yawn ;-)

 

[Washboard Didgets]

yawn ;-)

Oi!

Stop that, and start typing a new thread about what you've learnt about the Amex beer supplies!