In Scotland thieves have struck 100 times so far this year on the country's rail network. This compares with 64 thefts during the whole of last year, and 46 in 2006. Police fear the problem could get worse as the crime becomes increasingly attractive during the economic downturn.

Metal theft from rail lines has largely been confined to south of the Border until recent months. But already this year, passengers in Scotland have been hit by delays caused by the theft of live copper cable used for signals.
In May, the cable thieves struck on the east coast main line near Inverkeithing, causing almost three hours of delays to services.

In July, a similar theft near Perth disabled the signalling system, causing over an hour and a half of delays. In another operation earlier this year, thieves made off with £60,000 of copper cable from a line near Edinburgh. Officers tipped off about the stolen material, discovered the copper in a warehouse ready for shipment to China.

In July, a five-strong gang removed more than a mile of cable from a stretch of line between Dundee and Aberdeen.

British Transport Police (BTP) has tasked a specialist investigation team to crack down on the problem. "We already have the small-time thieves who are stealing metal to make a few pounds. But we are also seeing organised criminals who are targeting the railways to a great extent," said Detective Sergeant David Gray, head of the proactive metal investigation unit.

The practice is rewarded by the high price of copper which has increased from less than $2,000 in 2001 to peak at more than $7,000 per tonne last year. Prices have dropped since then, but not enough to deter a wave of criminals targeting railway lines, communications networks and other utilities.

British Telecom has set up its own dedicated squad to clamp down on a crime that is costing the company more than £4m a year.

But as everyone who has lived in South Africa and is aware of the steady copper wire cable thefts from phone lines and from the mines (once mainly for conversion into jewellery) an answer may lie in the use of fibre optic cable being not nearly as attractive for thieves to reinvent or export.

Soweto gets fibreoptic cable
Dark Fibre Africa has already laid down 30km of fibre across Soweto and expects to more than double that by the end of the first phase, expected to be completed by June 2009. The company's total investment by the end of 2009 will be R1bn. (Soweto. Right, courtesy:http:// www.2.gsu.edu)

“The design of the layout is complementary to our clients' needs to meet business demands in Soweto,” says Malcolm Kirby, sales director of DFA and the company is responding to interest from its clients for business development in the area.

DFA expects the banking sector and larger businesses to benefit from the roll-out. Soweto is the only township being covered by the DFA. “There is a drive to move hi-tech business, such as business process outsourcing (BPO), out of Sandton and the northern suburbs, and fibre in Soweto will be a driver in that regard.”

The company has laid more than 200km of fibre infrastructure over the last year in some of SA's highest-density metropolitan areas and is preparing to speed up its network expansion. According to reports, the planned growth is expected to hit R2bn by 2010, making the Soweto investment half of the planned financial boost.

BMI-TechKnowledge senior analyst, Tertia Smit says the township has traditionally been considered “white space” when it comes to connectivity. “Soweto has been plagued with poor fixed-line infrastructure and a severe lack of proper broadband.'

Soweto has been poorly covered with fixed broadband infrastructure like Telkom's ADSL products. iBurst currently provides in the area and has been involved in Internet café projects. “Otherwise, resident business are using dial-up,” adds Smit.

The cost of rolling-out infrastructure for Telkom may not have been a feasible option for the company, she adds. However, DFA says shared infrastructure makes more sense, and  the region will gain an excellent economic boost from the investment.

“It won't be long before small businesses, alongside the bigger businesses, gain access to the fibre broadband and benefit from the roll-out. There is a fairly well educated workforce already available. In areas like BPO, we have seen some companies try to bring the sector to outlying areas with little success. Having it near where people live and with a boost in infrastructure could make sense.” She adds that schools and other more needy institutions will also gain from the roll-out in the long-term.

According to Kirby, the second phase of the roll-out plan may well impact the small businesses and residents of the area. The company has also been in discussions with the municipalities in the area in terms of municipal broadband provision. Soweto has become an investment haven, with money streaming in from both government and the private sector.

According to media reports, the township's Mopanya Mall (left: courtesy http://farm4.static.flickr.com) has been a driver of retail investment in the area.

SA's national retailers reportedly forked out R4bn in an effort to gain space in the shopping centre. Other reports show a significant R400m is being pumped into Soweto to turn it into a peak travel destination before the Soccer World Cup hits South African shores. Housing developers are also seeing the value of the area.
Smit says these investments will be more profitable with proper broadband infrastructure, traditionally lacking in the area.

Sources:http://news.scotsman.com/
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet
Web: http://www.gauteng.net/