Eco park - Centurion // Insane Cable theft! 4 times / 5 months.

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saffakanera

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4th time now in 5 months, they steal cables every month, on either a Saturday, or Sunday, 4th time, why is Telkom continuing replacing the cables instead of implenting fiber? Isn't it costing them a fortune to replace cables so quickly in such a small time space?

EDIT UPDATE: two major underground cables were stolen, 1200 users affected. Crazy.
 
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saffakanera said:
4th time now in 5 months, they steal cables every month, on either a Saturday, or Sunday, 4th time, why is Telkom continuing replacing the cables instead of implenting fiber? Isn't it costing them a fortune to replace cables so quickly in such a small time space?
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After a while one begins to wonder if the people on the ground don't have connections to the theives. I agree totally, this happens countrywide and makes NO economic sense whatsoever. If I had Telkom shares, I'd kick up a fuss.

Does the theft happen in the same area? Like do they dig up the same stretch? I'm curious cos I'd love to setup a solar powered cell based webcam with IR LEDs.
 
yeah, its been going on for a long time... every month or 2 i have to go at least a week without adsl... so sad
 
saffakanera said:
4th time now in 5 months, they steal cables every month, on either a Saturday, or Sunday, 4th time, why is Telkom continuing replacing the cables instead of implenting fiber? Isn't it costing them a fortune to replace cables so quickly in such a small time space?
Click to expand...

One of my friends work there. Apparently Telkom has tried fibre, but that was stolen as well.
 
Tacet said:
One of my friends work there. Apparently Telkom has tried fibre, but that was stolen as well.
Click to expand...

Dude that is something I really didn't want to hear :( That would be a terrible terrible revelation, I was under the impression that fiber was useless for thieves.

It seems its the 4th time now at the same spot, just outside Eco Park by Nelmapius road. The crazy thing is, they stole it on Sunday morning probably > 3:00AM, whilst it was raining heavily.

Iv'e heard of areas where Telkom just refuses to replace the cable, of course Eco Park is right next to some big business areas, and a stone throw away from the Telkom IP Noc, this is a shameful display, shameful!
 
saffakanera said:
Dude that is something I really didn't want to hear :( That would be a terrible terrible revelation, I was under the impression that fiber was useless for thieves.
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It is pretty much useless to them, but they don't really know what's what until they've already damaged the cable beyond repair. There's been rumours of them selling the fibre sheathing (which contains Kevlar), but I'm not convinced of that one.
 
Methinks this is just going to get worse. The ANC government seems especially soft on crime plus look at other African countries & what happend to their infrastructure after liberation.
 
Apparently they have figured out you can make beads out of the fibre threads if you melt it.

That's one way to turn an imported product into a 'proudly South African' one.
 
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saffakanera said:
Dude that is something I really didn't want to hear :( That would be a terrible terrible revelation, I was under the impression that fiber was useless for thieves.

It seems its the 4th time now at the same spot, just outside Eco Park by Nelmapius road. The crazy thing is, they stole it on Sunday morning probably > 3:00AM, whilst it was raining heavily.

Iv'e heard of areas where Telkom just refuses to replace the cable, of course Eco Park is right next to some big business areas, and a stone throw away from the Telkom IP Noc, this is a shameful display, shameful!
Click to expand...
The cables in my parents-in-law's area was stolen 305 times since it was first laid there.

Telkom stopped replacing it in 2007/8 and rather use that wireless thingamabob
 
Tacet said:
It is pretty much useless to them, but they don't really know what's what until they've already damaged the cable beyond repair. There's been rumours of them selling the fibre sheathing (which contains Kevlar), but I'm not convinced of that one.
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Perhaps signs where fibre is laid would help...
Or not rofl.
 
Telkom is buddies with gov, cant they institute a copper license for sellers? I realize the company has gone Full Retard years ago but can't they make a plan? Ffs man, this is ridiculous.
 
The cable theft is out of control the other day a truck pulled up in kloof ..10am with workers in orange overall and
proceded to dismantle and strip the cable on the side of the road for one kilometre
it was aerial cable they left the suspension cable that was not copper it took two hours
 
FNfal said:
The cable theft is out of control the other day a truck pulled up in kloof ..10am with workers in orange overall and
proceded to dismantle and strip the cable on the side of the road for one kilometre
it was aerial cable they left the suspension cable that was not copper it took two hours
Click to expand...

I read something about Telkom investing in alarm systems etc, I take it they feel that the billions lost to cable theft does not warrant precautionary measures?
 
I read somewhere the company who's supposed to monitor the alarm which is supposed to monitor the cables are not monitoring it - and they're gettin paid :D

The entire setup = fail
 
The area to cover is to vast ..they are trying helicopters with flir at night
 
Well, seems fixed lines are going to be a thing of the past. Perhaps this is why 8ta emerged.
 
The cable thieves are getting more organized. They just cut the electric and Telkom cables at several places at once around our block and made off with it.

We have been targeted for this for at least 8 years now and the frequency and aggresiveness have definitely increased lately.
 
****, just heard from my gf that her co-workers cables will not be replaced by Telkom, and that they also have no wireless signal. Signs that Telkom is retracting its infrastructure instead of continually taking losses? Is Telkom SHRINKING?
 
saffakanera said:
****, just heard from my gf that her co-workers cables will not be replaced by Telkom, and that they also have no wireless signal. Signs that Telkom is retracting its infrastructure instead of continually taking losses? Is Telkom SHRINKING?
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What wireless signal is that? I have perfect (8ta) 3G at Eco Park.
 
Tacet said:
What wireless signal is that? I have perfect (8ta) 3G at Eco Park.
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Hey man, no its not here in Eco, I know Eco's wireless signal with CellC was Awesome. Tell me, how is 8ta in Eco? Decent? No changing from 3G to other protocols every 5 seconds like Vodacrap does?
 
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