Testing industry’s mettle

In the Digital Age, when you hear about theft and how to combat/punish it, the common nomenclature for such activities include cybercrime, hacking, piracy, IPR infringement, illegal music downloads, identity theft and the like. Then there are those willing to climb several hundred feet up a cellphone communications tower, risking life and limb to swipe some copper. Doesn’t really fit the pattern, but what the heck. It is what it is: low-tech theft in the high-tech sector.
Indeed, it is growing problem in the wireless industry, apparently owing to increased demand for copper and the accompanying rise in price. Copper is currently selling for about $3.25 per pound. Local and federal law enforcement are attempting to crack down on what appears to be a nationwide trend.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Norfolk, Va., last week said four individuals were indicted for robbing tower sites of copper. The 12-count indictment alleges that, between January and July last year, defendants lifted copper grounding bars and copper wiring from mobile-phone towers and later sold it to local salvage dealers. It was an ambitious operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the defendants raided more than 100 cell sites in 17 different jurisdictions in Virginia and North Carolina. Damage to the cellular facilities was pegged at around $270,000, but that doesn’t account for possible revenue loss due to any service disruption. If found guilty, the accused could face up to five years in jail for the conspiracy count and 10 years for every other count.
In states where copper thefts have been reported, it is usually local police that have stepped in. The Illinois state legislature is considering an increase in penalties for stealing copper from cell towers. Another idea would have metal dealers require sellers of copper to produce a photo ID and thumbprint as part of any transaction. Some mobile-phone operators are said to have installed motion-sensor alarms, video cameras and barbed wire fences in remote areas where towers are located.
Jackie McCarthy, director of government affairs at wireless infrastructure association PCIA, said she will raise the issue with the group’s state and local government committee to gauge interest in advocating for stiffer penalties. Meantime, the National Radio Systems Committee, an outfit cosponsored by the broadcasting and consumer electronics industries, apparently has set up a task force to figure out how to solve the copper caper.