WORLDWIDE MARKET RESEARCH REPORT - CISE

EC/IST FP6 Project No 026920
Work Package: 6
Type of document: Report
Date: 20.12.2007
File name: OP_WP6_D37_V1.0.doc Version: 1.0
Title: Worldwide Market Research Report 235 / 356
communes that have cyber café or internet point, although in this case, talking about isolated
buildings, the use of a transmission through power line, it would be not efficient (the
electrical grid should only be modified for few uses). Besides, in the case of internet point, at
least an internet connection has to be considered already active. They remain therefore, only
the great urban centers and the capitals of almost all the African countries. If from a side this
is restrictive limit, from the other one it could have the advantage to stimulate more and more
the expansion of the electrical grid toward the suburban areas.
The thefts of cables voters or the voluntary damage of the electric infrastructures
The problem of the thefts of cables voters, can seem a small hassle, but matter-of-fact it is a
very serious problem. Two extracts, the first one from the Sunday Telegrapg of 24/06/2007,
the second one from the Deutsche Presse-Agentur of 07/11/2006, exemplify the situation of
this phenomenon, respectively in South Africa and Zimbanwe.
1. [A43] Cities are being brought "to their knees" by unprecedented pilfering of copper
and aluminium cables, which has caused extensive blackouts and power cuts as
organised gangs plunder miles of the country's electricity and telephone lines to sell
abroad as scrap. Officials believe that up to 100 miles of cables may be going
missing every year, destined for markets such as China and India where booming
economies have created insatiable demand for copper and aluminum. The thieves
generally work by night, armed with trucks, winches, industrial cutting machines and
tractors to flatten the pylons and poles that carry their booty. The result has been
entire suburbs plunged into darkness, thousands of train passengers stranded, and
frequent chaos on the roads as traffic lights fail. “Backed by a network of
unscrupulous dealers who smelt their spoils down, many gangs are also stealing
water meters, taps and even ladders”, said Cape Town councilor Pieter van Dalen.
"Nobody will invest in a city if you can't rely on something as basic as an electricity
supply". "The entire infrastructure, from sewerage substations to electricity
generating points, are being vandalized for the sake of a few bucks." South Africa
spends R500 million on replacing stolen cables every year, while the cost to firms
whose power has been cut or phone lines stolen is perhaps 10 times that. The