BT have launched their latest technology to help tackle the huge increase in copper cable theft. The thefts are usually by organised gangs and are big business.
RABIT is BT’s new burglar alarm and is set to make thieves think again, as the technology can detect when a cable has been cut or damaged and sends police to the location of the incident within minutes, enabling them to catch thieves in action.
Police operations have been carried out targeting scrap metal dealers and in the last 11 months BT have recovered 240 tonnes of stolen metal and made more than 480 arrests already more than the total of 446 in 2010.
BT already uses an invisible paint called SmartWater that tags thieves and BT Openreach is in partnership with Crimestoppers.
The Government have set aside £5 million to help set up a dedicated metal theft task force.