Bell has made security enhancements to its network to protect against copper theft and charge vandals with “harsher penalties.”
The telecom provider has installed aerial alarms on its network, informing law enforcement as soon as an incident is detected.
Bell hopes the system will allow law enforcement to catch “vandals in the act, enabling law enforcement to charge the perpetrators with harsher penalties.”
Fredericton, New Brunswick, is one of the areas that has seen the installation of aerial alarms. On February 26th, an alarm in the city notified RCMP of a cable cut, leading to the arrest of two individuals.
Since January 2022, Bell says nearly 1,000 security incidents involving its network have taken place, and copper theft is responsible for 87 percent of the disturbances.
The company notes vandalism impacts Ontario the most, followed by New Brunswick and Québec. Each incident takes up to 12 hours to repair.
Bell says it will expand the installation of the alarms to more locations as part of its latest attempt to protect the network from vandalism.
Over the last year, the company has asked provincial and federal governments to increase fines and make changes to the criminal code, resulting in stiffer penalties for vandals.
It’s a call the company continues to make.
“Enhancing security protocols is only part of the solution,” the company said in a press release. “It’s imperative that the government and law enforcement take decisive, timely action to strengthen laws, increase fines and make amendments to the Criminal Code.”
Source: Bell
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