[kictanet] Vandalism menace

Mwangi Wamae mwangi.wamae at gmail.com
Tue Feb 9 18:12:12 EAT 2010 

I can think of four reasons why cable vandalism would occur:

   1. Malicious – cable theft:  The thief benefits primarily from reselling
   the metal (is fibre ever resold/).
   2. Malicious – corporate sabotage:  The thief’s organization will benefit
   from the service woes of a competitor.
   3. Benign – construction work:  Someone digging a foundation, trench or
   similar inadvertently severs a cable.
   4. Benign – accident: An unforeseeable event occurs that damages the
   cable.

I don’t have data about the breakdown of the incidences into these four
categories.  I believe we need to collect real data first before prescribing
a solution.  However here are my thoughts about how we should address each
of these if the incidence warrants it.

   1. Cable theft:  This is petty thievery; we already have enough statutes
   in our books to address the perpetrators.  The recent ban on the export
   of scrap metal may have helped – the decline in copper prices may have
   helped more but prices have been recovering.
   2. Corporate sabotage:  We need a level competitive playing field and if
   there is corporate sanctioned sabotage against competitors then the
   perpetrating company should have some real sanctions including imprisonment
   for guilty executives and possibly even the loss of their licenses.  Telkom
   in recent press reports seems to be strongly alluding that this is what is
   going on.
   3. Construction work:  In Connecticut, (and many other parts of the US),
   it is the law to call a hotline 48-hours before digging.  A joint effort
   by all the utilities & municipalities in the state (water, electricity,
   telecoms, sewerage, gas etc) is responsible for coming out to your site and
   marking where the underground utilities are buried.  (There is a call
   centre to field the calls!)  Failure to do so has real consequences on
   the contractor if there is damage to utilities.
   4. Accidents:  Nothing we can do here.

I am shaking my head in disbelief at the suggestion that any of these (that
does not result in death or injury) may even be construed to be a capital
crime.  Are we really going to hang people for severing a strand of glass
fibre?

On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 10:01 AM, Kai Wulff <kai.wulff at kdn.co.ke> wrote:

>  It is not only punishment.. Fiber police .. Well how many people do you
> want to deploy all over the country?
>
>
>
>
>
> What is lacking is understanding and respect
>
>
>
> When it comes to vandals .. If it was their child needing medical
> assistance and the call does not go through because of a cable cut ….
>
>
>
> Contractors (Road, Water and other industries ..) they regard fiber not as
> an important infrastructure .. So why bother to avoid damage ..
>
>
>
> Property owners  ….. Cutting the fiber and then complaining about the
> Internet being down ..
>
>
>
>
>
> Building owners asking for rent for fiber to be terminated … Are they
> getting paid rent by KPLC, TKL, Water …
>
>
>
>
>
> Education should solve the problem ….
>
>
>
>
>
> Last category: Saboteurs .. TREASON
>
>
>
> *Von:* kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff=kdn.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:
> kictanet-bounces+kai.wulff <kictanet-bounces%2Bkai.wulff>=kdn.co.ke
> @lists.kictanet.or.ke] *Im Auftrag von *Kevin
> *Gesendet:* Tuesday, February 09, 2010 17:50
> *An:* kai.wulff at kdn.co.ke
>
> *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> *Betreff:* Re: [kictanet] Vandalism menace
>
>
>
> Jevans,
>
>
>
> I totally agree with you. I think to answer Dr. Ndemo's question, why not
> classify the fiber optic infrastructure as "Critical National Communication
> Infrastructure" and make vandalism a capital offence without the option of a
> fine. in the same vein, IP network providers should work together to defend
> the infrastructure as one entity and jointly safeguard the multi-billion
> shilling investment instead of fighting media wars for individual benefit.
>
>
>
> A joint national anti-vandalism education campaign would be a good start.
> Not all fiber vandals in the rural and urban areas understand the risk of
> their actions, especially since they don't see how the fiber crossing their
> village is benefiting them directly. For all they know, it only serves the
> rich people living in the towns where the fiber is heading. Villagers need
> to own the fiber. How?
>
>
>
> 1. By fiber companies ensuring that there are digital centres in the
> villages where the fiber is passing for villagers to see its benefits (just
> like power cables;cut power cables in village= no power=darkness,no TV=no
> development).
>
>
>
> 2. Establishing a fiber police unit!
>
>
>
>
>
> Any other suggestions good people??
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 5:20 PM, Jevans Nyabiage <jnyabiage at nation.co.ke>
> wrote:
>
> Should this not be made a capital offence? Which of these competitors
> cannot afford just Sh1 million?
>
> The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act says any person found guilty of
> cable vandalism is liable to five-year jail term or a fine of Sh1 million.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kictanet-bounces+jnyabiage=nation.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke[mailto:
> kictanet-bounces+jnyabiage <kictanet-bounces%2Bjnyabiage>=nation.co.ke@
> lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 5:11 PM
> To: Jevans Nyabiage
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vandalism menace
>
> Henry,
> If today you had the power that the Government has, what is the something
> you would do to these thieves?
>
> Ndemo.
>
>  Sent from my BlackBerry(r)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Henry Okatch <hokatch at gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 16:16:38
> To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Vandalism menace
>
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