"We don't have the ability to force redundancy or force exit, so essentially we had to create a culture with a pull factor, " notes Martin O'Halloran, the project manager for Eircom's access network.

FORBES: The Irish way

"Cable theft figures fluctuate hugely and can be affected by weather and access to the network, " said Simon Davies, BT's general manager dealing with cable theft.

BBC: Dramatic drop in copper cable theft across the UK