Telecommunications group MTN’s new security model is proving successful, as it has reported a 49% reduction in battery-related theft and vandalism incidents in 2020, compared with 2019.

The implementation of the new 360 Plan Security Model resulted in recorded incidents at MTN’s cellphone towers declining from 2 195 in 2019 to 1 115 in 2020.

“This reduction of incidents resulted in a 45% reduction in actual battery losses over the year, from 13 066 to 7 150 from 2019 to 2020 respectively,” says MTN Network Operations GM Ernest Paul.

South African mobile operators have been battling against battery and cable theft, as well as vandalism, at base stations for years, raising the alarm last year over accelerating incidents across the country, which had reached crisis point toward the end of 2019.

MTN and fellow operator Vodacom reported losses amounting to hundreds of millions of rands and the permanent shutdown of dozens of sites, with extensive disruptions to network provision impacting on telecommunications quality.

At the time, MTN warned that the cost to the industry had reached an unsustainable tipping point, where the damage to towers and infrastructure far exceeded the cost of repairing and replacing batteries and equipment.

However, progress had been made in the war against the persistent battery theft at base stations as MTN and Vodacom ramped up preventive measures and deployed high-technology-based security initiatives.

“We are pleased to have made significant headway in 2020 and continue to put measures in place to safeguard our network and infrastructure to ensure customers continue to enjoy uninterrupted network connectivity at all times,” says Paul, noting that the 360 Plan Security Model stands out as the key turning point.

“It is an industry first in the design of security services, modelled around a managed services approach, compared with the traditional resource-based models,” he continues.

The plan, founded on the “site hardening pillar”, incorporates safe deployments, epoxy, Bluetooth locking devices, security intrusion and video surveillance, as well as the soon-to-be-rolled-out authentication and authorisation access control system on smart devices.

“It has further been strengthened by the managed service physical security approach by the National Operation Centre, which is the heartbeat of the entire 360 Plan. Added to this are tactical and armed response intervention, intelligence and investigations, special operations and airwing support, to mention a few,” says Paul.

The results can be seen in the decline in incidents.

By the fourth quarter of 2020, 153 stolen battery incidents were recorded, a reduction from the 292 incidents reported in the prior quarter and the 472 recorded in the first quarter of 2020.

In the first and fourth quarters of 2019, 630 and 432 battery incidents respectively were recorded.

“This success is also reflected in a reduction in the total quantum of batteries stolen: 837 in the fourth quarter of 2020, from 1 920 in the prior quarter, and compared with as many as 3 482 in the first quarter of 2019.”

Further, MTN’s recovery rate is also ticking up strongly, with a total of 191 batteries recovered, 5 vehicles impounded and 19 suspects arrested and charged in accordance with the Criminal Matter Amendment Act in November 2020.