A press release issued by Ghana Telcom in Accra at the weekend has said that the rampant thefts of cables are threatening the telecommunications revolution in the country. “Cable thefts have grown from a nuisance activity involving vagrants and petty thieves who steal a few metres of overhead cables into a sophisticated enterprise involving criminal gangs which target underground cables, serving whole communities and businesses,” said the release issued by the corporate communications department of Ghana Telecom. In recent times, it said, Ghana Telecom and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have suffered at the hands of cable thieves where criminals have resorted to stealing all kinds of cables so long as the cables are suspected to contain copper. Copper wire is a transmission medium where signals travel in the form of electronic current wit h several thousands of kilometres of cable strung all over the country, the two companies have become sitting ducks for these criminals,” it said. But the loss, the release said was insignificant when compared to the several billion cedis of lost revenue as a result of the inability of customers to make or receive calls, send or receive fax messages or access the internet. “Cable thefts have contributed immensely to staining the image of Ghana Telecom. It has also stifled efforts to improve services to existing customers, let alone extending services to more Ghanaians. It said the bad practice was at the heart of most unexplained disruptions of service to customers. The release further said Ghana Telecom has now diverted resources to support an outreach and joint patrol programme with the security services and community watchdog committees to stem the menace. It had also reinforced the covers to its underground chambers and implemented community information and outreach programmes to sensitise the public on the need to expose perpetrators. Source: The Ghanaian Times