BT will receive £105m from the sale of copper cables – before they are stolen by non-ferrous metal hunters

Telecom operator BT (formerly British Telecom) found a profitable part-time job – the company earned £105 million (about $140 million) from the sale of copper cables that had become unnecessary, The Guardian reports. The company is replacing old infrastructure with modern fiber optic networks and has already received an advance payment for non-ferrous metals.

According to the British publication, BT has struck a deal to sell copper pellets recovered from waste cables with recycling company EMR. The contract with EMR is concluded until the end of 2028. By the end of 2026, BT intends to provide fiber-optic connections to 25 million buildings; today this figure has already exceeded 15 million objects.

By April 2024, BT’s Openreach subsidiary had recovered 3,300 tonnes of copper, and the company aims to recover up to 200,000 tonnes of copper by 2030 as BT’s customers migrate to fibre. Based on current market prices, 200,000 tonnes of copper is worth around £1.5 billion ($2 billion). BT has confirmed that it is looking at extracting copper from its cables as a source of income, but is not yet providing financial forecasts.

Image source: William Krause / Unsplash

The problem is that due to the high cost of copper, even still-used cables have become targets for thieves. Now Openreach is forced to use SelectaDNA technology based on a synthetic DNA marker that is visible under ultraviolet light. The marker is applied to cables and equipment, leaving unique, easily identifiable traces on people who have come into contact with the chemical. The technology has reportedly resulted in three recent convictions for cable theft.

For US operators, meanwhile, the old cables may only bring costs. AT&T half-heartedly agreed to remove tens of tons of lead-clad cables from the bottom of Lake Tahoe or face a lengthy battle with environmentalists.