In reply to a post by CurlyWhirly:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

They do! Often using dummy-logo'ed vans and fluorescent jackets.

An old trick. Make it look as though you are genuine.

Flippin' heck, that's cheeky !

It must involve a lot of work.

if probably does,but the rewards are obviously worthwhile, and some peeps may end up with a better ADSL sync after bt replace the cable with new copper , so some may benefit from the old rotting copper being replaced early

In reply to a post by tommy45:

and some peeps may end up with a better ADSL sync after bt replace the cable with new copper , so some may benefit from the old rotting copper being replaced early

I never thought of that !

In reply to a post by CurlyWhirly:

In reply to a post by tommy45:

and some peeps may end up with a better ADSL sync after bt replace the cable with new copper , so some may benefit from the old rotting copper being replaced early

I never thought of that !

I did,it also keeps OR and its sub contractors busy too, job creation even,lol

It might be a silver lining if Openreach have to keep, replacing stolen copper they might just realise it would be far cheaper and easier to fibre it all the way. but knowing their track record it'll probably take them a few years to figure that out. plus it's too easy for them.

They identify two access points (manholes). Open up both, attach a winch to one end then sever the 200 pair cables at both ends, drag the cable out and disappear! It takes just a few minutes and they do not even bother closing teh access covers either, so te next car along has two wrecked wheels!

In reply to a post by MHC:

They identify two access points (manholes). Open up both, attach a winch to one end then sever the 200 pair cables at both ends, drag the cable out and disappear! It takes just a few minutes and they do not even bother closing teh access covers either, so te next car along has two wrecked wheels!

most of the bt cables around here are under the footpaths and the access covers seem to be on the footpaths as well , although i don't doubt there will be some under the roads just that there location isn't as obvious

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

At the close of business on the Stock Exchange on Thursday 5 April the market capitalisation of the BT Group was £17.33 billion.

That's about 3.2 million tons of copper... that's a lot of wire, I think MHC is probably right!

there is approx 75 million miles of cable in the BT network.

ahh found it "£2.5bn to £5bn of copper"

Edited by deleted (Mon 09-Apr-12 02:47:16)

I don't think its an urban myth about the value of the cable they have in the ground, there's been articles about it from reputable sources in the past.

In reference to www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/22/bt_copper_cable_theft/:

Ten pairs of copper cabling weighs around 132kg per mile. Which by the miracle of multiplication can be seen to be about 10 million tonnes of copper. Which, at current LME prices of just over £5,000 a tonne, is £50bn.

How much would it costs to extract it all though!

the 200 pair cables

Nah, they try and get real big ones,1000 pairs plus. They did the main feed cables for Winnersh Triangle a week Wednesday back. The silly [censored] stole the fibre as well, there would have been a certain sang froid in seeing their faces when they realised !

Post deleted by Sadoldman