Tuesday 9 October 2012

Killer RABIT let loose by Openreach

We’re now three months into a customer trial of RABIT, known officially as the slightly less catchy 'Major Service Outage (MSO) proactive CP notification trial'. RABIT is an innovative new cable protection system which can detect when a cable has been cut or damaged and notify the police so they can be at the site of the incident within minutes.

The technology was piloted earlier this year and the current trial extends its use to interested communications providers.

As a new diagnostic tool, RABIT – the nickname derives from the original Rapid Assessment BT Incident Tracker technology the trial is based on – instantly notifies ISPs of any cable theft.

The information it sends out includes postcodes of the affected customers which can help manage faults and get customers back online faster. And the new tool might help nab a few more scrap metal thieves if they’re caught in the act.

RABIT is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at tackling the problem of rising cable theft – mostly by organised gangs. We managed to recover 240 tonnes of stolen metal in an 11-month period through a combination of visits to scrap metal dealers and targeted Police operations.

You can see the official briefing here. And the original RABIT press release here.

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