The rise in battery theft and vandalism at cell phone towers across the country requires a stronger and more concerted drive to clamp down on syndicates and opportunistic criminals.
This is according to MTN, which recorded 125 incidents of battery theft last week from 74 the week before.
The worst hit areas are currently Soweto, Tembisa, Vereeniging and Parktown – however, it is a national problem affecting all mobile networks.
“Battery theft and related vandalism is costing MTN hundreds of millions of rand and the impact on the entire industry is exorbitant,” says Ernest Paul, GM: network operations at MTN. “Recent data shows MTN had 733 batteries stolen from its sites across the country in April.”
There is a high cost to customers and network providers each time a battery is stolen. To replace batteries at 100 sites would cost well over R10-million, with millions more required to cover the costs of fixing the damage done to the cell phone towers.
“We must avoid the costs of these thefts impacting the consumer, so shutting down these criminals has to be a priority,” says Paul. “If left unchecked, entire communities, individual customers and small businesses alike, in affected areas, will struggle to access their mobile services as the theft comes with extensive damage to the entire network infrastructure.”
MTN is calling on all stakeholders to get involved in the fight against battery theft. “We are constantly looking at ways to eradicate the problem of battery theft. However, everyone has a role to play. While operators are under siege from these thieves, the people most affected are South Africans, who rely on their mobile connectivity for home and work, and for their safety and security systems,” says Paul.
Recently, incidents have become increasingly violent, with some guards even being abducted, assaulted and shot at.
“The best way to start fighting back is for anyone spotting something suspicious on a site to report it immediately. There are various tip-off lines to call. Alternatively report it to the police,” Paul urges.
MTN will provide monetary reward mechanisms for information which helps bring criminals to book.
The company also warns battery buyers to make sure they know the origin of what they are buying. “It is important to realize they may be buying stolen goods if the asking price is way below the market price of about R28,000 a battery,” says Paul.
The major mobile operators in South Africa make use of one brand, Leoch lithium batteries, which are imported solely by Average Technologies and these are not for sale to the general public. However, other agreements are in place for other lithium battery suppliers, including Huawei and Coslight.
Lead acid battery suppliers include Narda and Shoto. Generally, these batteries are for the exclusive use of the telecommunications sector and are not sold to the commercial solar industry.