BT’s fiber subsidiary, Openreach has reported a 30 percent fall in copper phone and broadband cable theft over the last year, according to a report. After the infrastructure company deployed SelectDNA, a synthetic DNA and UV tracking technology, that us sprayed directly on cables and associated equipment, it eported that theft of its cables reduced.
The tracer works by leaving a unique DNA trace on people and vehicles that have contact with it. The tagging formula uses synthetically-manufactured DNA particles to create a unique ID code, which can be tracked to the person and place.
The technology has already been deployed successfully and secured three convictions in Lincolnshire for the attempted theft of copper cables.
A spokesperson from Openreach said: “The loss of phone and broadband is not only inconvenient but can put vulnerable people at risk. Repair work also pulls our engineers away from other work, can take weeks to finish, and cost thousands of pounds.”
The company added: “We take the security of our network seriously and have a wide range of crime prevention tools to prevent thefts and catch those responsible. Our dedicated security team investigates all attacks and our network is alarmed and monitored 24/7 by our control center.”
A spokesman for SelectaDNA said: “The benefits of using SelectaDNA are twofold. Not only does it help prevent and reduce crime, it also helps the police by providing irrefutable evidence to link offenders to crime scenes. Openreach’s approach to tackling crime is very proactive and innovative, and results like this demonstrate how well their tactics are working.”
According to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), metal theft has cost the UK economy an estimated £4.3 billion ($5.36bn). Cable theft crimes have been on the rise for several years, partly due to the high price of copper.
In the US, it is the same issue. In January this year, copper thieves toppled a 488-foot rod cell tower in Oklahoma, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage. In Texas, a man set fire to 22 cell towers, causing $1.1 million worth of damage.
Theft of operator-owned equipment has also been an issue for Africa. Botswana Telecommunications Corporation’s (BTC) posted a 23% drop in pretax profits for the year to March 2023, due to replacement costs for stolen copper cables, a figure in the region of 56 million pula (US$4.11 million) over the year. Vodacom says incidents of vandalism occur at 15 to 28 sites per month, with between 18 and 30 batteries stolen at the region’s base stations monthly.
The adoption of forensic tracking technology can be a potential game-changer for Africa where theft of operator-owned equipment has been a persistent issue, safeguarding crucial infrastructure, minimizing disruptions, and ultimately protecting vulnerable communities.
