Copper Cable Theft Reaching Epidemic Proportions

Trinidad and Tobago Telecom (TSTT) which operates landline and mobile networks says that it has been the victim of an unprecedented assault on its network infrastructure, leaving the company and thousands of its customers without critical services. So far this year there have been 181 separate incidents. The problem has become particularly acute over the past few weeks, with incidents of malicious vandalism or cable theft occurring almost on a daily basis - sometimes in several locations.

The Company has spent over US$4 million completing repairs to a variety of facilities - from copper and fiber optic cable to cell sites and transmission equipment.

Dennis Gordon, head of Security, Safety and Environment at TSTT believes that part of the problem stems from an apparent shortage of copper and other metals, primarily in emerging Asian economies. "Cutting of fiber optic cables is another matter, however." He says when fiber optic cables are cut the perpetrators do not attempt to remove the cable. "There is no material of value in these fiber optic cables. They are cut purely to disrupt communications services and create an inconvenience for TSTT's fixed-line and mobile services customers."

Even as TSTT stepped up surveillance to stop the damage, vandals and thieves have escalated their efforts to do harm. TSTT's increased vigilance led to the arrest of over 53 persons since 2006 on charges of theft and malicious damage to cables and cell sites. For the most, part thieves cut cables in remote, sparsely populated areas late at night or in the very early morning when the chances of being observed are reduced. Some have taken to crawling down narrow manhole shafts, worming their way through tight, damp, stifling ducts up to ten feet below the ground to get at the cables. One person has been arrested in the Belmont area attempting to steal the overhead cable in broad daylight.

On Tuesday night (June 26th), vandals struck in Gran Couva cutting a fiber optic cable that not only left several hundred households without fixed line service, but also knocked out cellular coverage over several square miles.

Gordon cautions, though, that increased Company and community vigilance may not be enough to overcome the unrelenting persistence of thieves and vandals, noting that both the Dominican Republic and Guyana had banned the export of copper due to the extent of cable theft in their respective countries."

Posted to the site on 2nd July 2007