Theft of copper ground wire is a problem that cuts across a number of industries, including telecommunications and data communications. Copper theft can cause service outages to customers, increase operational costs and pose safety hazards to employees as well as would-be thieves. A 2007 Department of Energy study estimates that US utilities spend approximately $1 billion every year restoring damage from copper theft and dealing with network disruptions. Copper theft has increased in the past decade because of the volatility of copper prices. As worldwide demand for copper grows, the price of raw copper and the scrap value of copper used in communications networks also increases.

CommScope’s bimetallic grounding solutions, known as GroundSmart^®, provide an alternative to copper that costs less and deters thieves because of its low scrap value. Available in copper-clad steel (CCS) or copper-clad aluminum (CCA) configurations, these solutions are approved for grounding applications related to communications networks. CCS solutions are used for subsurface grounding grids and pole grounds, while CCA performs best in inside plant bonding and grounding applications. To learn more about using these cost effective grounding solutions in your network click on the link below.