Just some of Frontier Communications losses for March 2012

3/28/2012   DAESE, WV             650 feet of 50 pair/24 gauge cable

(SCV approximately 11,000)

3/18/2012   Gauley Bridge, WV     840 feet of aerial telephone cable

3.19/2012   Bradshaw, WV            800 feet of aerial telephone cable

3/15/2012   LAWTON, WV            300 feet of aerial telephone cable

3/9/2012     Summersville, WV     320 feet of aerial telephone cable

(SCV approximately 3,000)

3/6/2012     Branchland, WV         250 feet of aerial telephone cable

Note:  [SCV is an aconym for Scrap Copper Value]  The figures do not  indicate actual value of cable or installation expenses, but solely the approximate scrap value of the copper.  Actual replacement costs are MUCH higher. 

-BulldogPI

http://wvcashin.com/law-enforcement/86-3192012-800-aerial-telephone-cable

3/19/2012

Location: Bradshaw, WV 24817 US
Material: Copper

Details: 800 feet of aerial telephone cable. Cable is described as 400 pair/22 gauge copper. Cable will contain 800 individual wires.

BulldogPI comments:

800 feet of 400 pair cable??   That type of cable weighs approximately 1.6 lbs per foot prior to uhhh….’processing’ it for it’s copper content.  We’re talking over 1400 lbs of cable just walking off here, and over 1000 lbs of copper showing up at a WV scapyard ‘un-noticed.’   What’s the replacement cost of that plus labor….  over 20k?

Give me a break…. I don’t know how aggressively Frontier is ‘combating’ the theft, but whatever their tactics are sure don’t seem particularly effective.  

-BulldogPI

Dana Waldo says the thefts are hurting his company’s overall efforts to prepare the Mountain State for the future.

“We’re trying to wire up this state and we have to go back and put our resources, our time and money and effort into restringing wire that was already there, instead of stringing new wire into new areas of the state for additional service,” Waldo said on Tuesday’s MetroNews Talkline.

He estimates Frontier’s service is disrupted four times a week, at least, because of copper thefts.

The company has had to replace a total of 33,000 feet of telephone cable in recent months and thousands of Frontier customers have lost service for stretches of time, creating potential safety issues.

Here are some of Frontier’s reported losses for March thus far:

3/02/2012     Bradshaw, WV          300 feet of 600 Pair 24 Gauge ATC (Big Bucks)

3/02/2012     Iaeger, WV                 300 feet of 300 Pair 24 Gauge ATC

3/06/2012     Branchland, WV        250 feet of ATC

3/09/2012     Summersville, WV     320 feet of ATC, 100 pair/19 gauge copper

3/15/2012     LAWTON, WV            300 feet of ATC, 100 pair/24 guage copper

***ATC:  Acronym for Aerial Telephone Cable

 -BulldogPI

The copper bandits in West Virginia have been busy little beavers.   It must be awful smokey up there in Mingo County.

Let’s take a look at some recently reported thefts.  The most recent one being worthy of it’s spot at the top:
Date 2/27/2012
Matewan, WV 25678 US
370 feet of 600 pair/22 gauge copper.

[BulldogPI note: This is a very large, thick, and heavy cable.  Frontier Communications no longer appears to be reporting estimated values or copper weights.  Maybe they're not fond of my blog discussing them.]

 Bummer.

Now I need to do some calculations if I want to estimate losses.   Luckily the loss on 02/22/12  helps simplify that problem.  Based on the estimated value of the 2/22/12 theft,  the 02/27/12 heist sounds like  over 17,000 dollars worth of copper!

 BulldogPI, how ya figure?

(Well, let’s do some quick PI Math.  The 02/22/12 theft implies that 200 pair cable weighs approximately one pound per foot.  Remember the total estimated weight of the loss that day was  approximately 700 lbs.  I’m reasoning  600 pair wire of the same diameter (22gauge) would yield three times the copper per foot  [all other factors being equal]  If you then multiply 370 feet of copper times 3 lbs per foot, we’re talking around 1,100 lbs of copper. That’s about half again the yield of 02/22/12′s theft in Harts, WV.   Multiplying  the estimated value of  that theft by 1.5  should put me somewhere in the ballpark.   So, I’m figuring  between 18 and 20K worth of copper.  Pretty good wages for the day if you ask me.   That amount of cable and weight wasn’t just lugged away by bubba in a pickup truck.  He’s good, but not THAT good.  Bubba must of had a helping hand or two…)

Also, keep in mind the value of the copper is only a fraction of the total expense of replacement.  They must still dispatch trucks, crews, and time to replace the damaged lines.

Other reported losses:
 
Date 2/28/2012
Summersville, WV
300 Feet of 300 Pair 22 Gauge Aerial Telephone Cable

 
Date  2/27/2012 
Milton, WV
500 Feet of 300 Pair Aerial Telephone Cable

2/22/2012
HARTS, WV
700 feet of 200 pair/22 gauge copper.
Estimated 650-700 lbs of copper.
Estimated value: $12,000.00
[Already mentioned]

2/22/2012
PROCIOUS, WV
500 feet of  50 pair/19 gauge copper
Estimated Value: $4,300.00

 
 2/18/2012 
Branchland, WV
250 feet of aerial telephone cable 100 pair/22 guage copper.
Estimated Value: $2200.00

2/17/2012
 
200 feet of aerial telphone cable. 200 pair/22 guage copper. 
Estimated 150-200 lbs of copper.
Estimated Value: $3500.00

Today’s theft alert:

700 feet of Aerial Telephone Cable stolen
Date of theft: 2/22/2012 , around 1am
HARTS, WV area

650-700 lbs of copper once the sheathing is burned off.

The estimated value of the copper:
$12,000.00

Estimated labor charges to repair the damage:
I’m not even going to attempt a guess

Missed opportunity of reducing such huge losses

Priceless
-BulldogPI