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As someone who strings together words for a living, I am finding it increasingly difficult to find the language to express the level of stupidity and depravity that our particular brand of criminals stoop to.

For instance, how does one adequately explain the latest report from one of South Africa’s major fibre network operators (FNO) that criminals are stealing parts of its fibre cabling and smoking them? At a loss for words? Join the club, but let’s try.

MyBroadband recently learnt that the big drive to expand fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity to less affluent areas has meant crime has become a much bigger headache for FNOs than in the past. Not only does this endanger the lives of their staff and cause operational slowdowns, but criminal elements in poorer neighbourhoods are also responsible for pushing up the prices of high-speed broadband access.

While battling “business forums” and gangs is still the biggest issue, traditional copper theft also remains a major headache.

“Theft of equipment, vandalism and threats to our staff and contractors by construction mafia or community forums are the key crime challenges we experience,” said MetroFibre optical assurance manager Johan Booysen.

“We also get pressure from groups when we attempt to rollout in new underserved areas, notably multi-party SMME and taxi organisations in local communities looking to secure contracts.”

Professional thugs intimidating FNOs and stealing copper wire to smuggle across the border can still be explained, but words fail us when Booysen raises the ‘interesting issue’ that is emerging post-rollouts — thieves stealing the strength member of the fibre core for its glass, which is then crushed and smoked. This gives new meaning to klapping n pyp.

While he did not elaborate further, there have been numerous instances where analyses of illegal drugs found around the world contained pieces of crushed glass, including in the popular South African township drug Nyaope, a mix of low-grade heroin, cannabis products, antiretroviral drugs, and bulking agents.

The latter can include particularly harmful materials that drug sellers use to add cheaper weight and volume to their products.

Booysen said the damages and losses suffered due to crime ultimately pushed MetroFibre’s cost of doing business, which could impact pricing.

“Incidents of crime translate into additional costs, project delays, damage to equipment, and loss of productivity, which ultimately means a slower fibre rollout and unhappy customers due to the delays,” Booysen said.

“The hard cost of replacing damaged equipment is just one aspect, however. The time in negotiations, delays on the build and the stress and strain experienced by our teams and contractors are just as significant, and difficult to quantify.”

Also difficult to quantify is the level of stupidity when one decides to crush up a fibre cable and smoke it. Why not start with your socks, it’s a natural fibre – unless you purchased it from Temu. This also leaves your internet connectivity intact so you can order more socks.

All three of the FNOs that MyBroadband spoke to said that collaboration with communities was a key part of resolving the issues and that the contracting of private security companies and round-the-clock intelligent monitoring systems, although at “considerable” cost, was not passed onto the customer.

This is to be applauded and we say thank you. But the applause dies down to a dumbfounded slow-clap when we return to the fact that somewhere in South Africa a thug is smoking your fibre.

God help the police officer who has to write up the docket after apprehending a thief high on high-speed fibre cable.

“The suspect was caught tripping balls at 900Mbps”. Huh, I guess there are words.

[source:mybroadband]