Copper Theft of Earthing Systems a Worldwide Problem

Abstract:
With the increase in copper prices, copper theft, which was once a nuisance factor, has now become a major problem for the telecommunications industry. Copper theft in the US alone has a cost impact in excess of US1 billion dollars per annum and it is estimated to be even greater across Europe. Copper theft in the telecommunications sector includes the theft of ground bars, cables and grounding conductors. The extracts below demonstrate the extent of the coppertheft problem. In July 2013 www.finance.yahoo.com website had this report, "There was a perception that copper theft slowed down after the recession, and the rise in commodity prices seemed to ease off. But that's not the case. The theft has only been growing.…the FBI says copper theft is "threatening U.S. critical infrastructure by targeting electrical substations, cellular towers, telephone land lines, railroads, water wells, construction sites, and vacant homes for lucrative profits." Pol-PRIMETT is a three year European project which began in September 2010. It aims to improve collaboration between the private sector and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in EU in the fight against metal theft. Pol-PRIMETT Reported in August 2012 that “European railway operators are pressing for an EU-wide response to the rising number of cable thefts, …..the telecommunications industry has also reported rising thefts of copper cables.” Copper is used in grounding applications widely in bare and insulated forms. Conductors used in this application are often perceived to be “not live” and are a prime target for copper thieves. The copper theft happens either during construction stages or later on when the sites are operational. If the theft occurs during construction then there is economic loss and an annoyance. However, theft of copper in operational facilities is a larger concern because it brings about a serious safety problem not only for the copper thieves but the general public. There is serious impact on noise level at a telecommunications site when the ground grid is removed and this has operational ramifications. This paper looks theft deterrents solutions for use in grounding systems in telecommunication applications. There are two types of solutions discussed here that are aimed at minimizing or eliminating theft of copper from grounding systems in telecommunications. 1) Alternative Conductors to Copper 2) Alternative Ground Bars to Copper