What is “Cable Theft?”

CABLE THEFT - Refers to the practice of cable subscribers obtaining service without authozation from Inter Mountain Cale and not legally paying for active service. There are three familiar types on CABLE THEFT that is recognized by the cable companies:

Passive “Theft” - Passive “theft” is when a customer has service that they are not paying for but that they did not actively cause. Examples of this are moving into a new home or apartment where service is still active (not disconnected by previous owner), or if the cable company does not disconnect your service even after you are no longer paying for it.

Active Theft - The difference in Active theft is Intent. (Hooking up service to a neighbor or outside pole) The subscriber has knowingly made an illegal connection. (Can lead to prosecution, conviction and fine if they are identified by yearly Inter Mountain Cable Audit Team)

Premium Theft - When a customer has a level of service that is greater than what they are billed for that is known as premium or trap theft. This includes subscribers who use descramblers and filters as well as subscribers who remove filters from their line in order to receive additional analog services.

Does it also affect the consumer?

Of course Cable Theft will affect you, THE CUSTOMER, everytime someone attempt to splice into you home cable line. What this will do is cause interfernce that will affect your current picture quality, plus CABLE THEFT will interfer with you High Speed Internet Service and Digital Phone Services from Inter Mountain Cable. Because you internet and telephone now travels through the cable line, the same way you television signal is transmitted, ALL SERVICES WILL BE AFFECTED.

How is the Cable signal affected if someone is stealing cable? Well the person(s) that are illegally hooking into your line are essentially STEALING YOUR SIGNAL AND/OR BANDWIDTH. What we mean by bandwidth is that Inter Mountain Cable sends a specific signal from the line that is designated ONLY for your residence. When CABLE THEFT occurs, the theif has just now cut your signal in half and resulting in poor picture quality and lowering your internet and digital telephone signal.

How much does it cost the cable company?

For each DIGITAL CABLE THEFT that is taking place within the Inter Mountain Cable service area sold costs our company over $3,000 in lost revenue (eqivelent to one customer that subscribes to a 2 year agreement with Inter Mountain Cable) over its useful life expectancy. Take in consideration that of the 20,000+ Inter Mountain Cable customers, close to 20% maybe illegally stealing cable service from YOU and costing up to $1.2 Million dollars in revenue per year.

How does our yearly revenue losses affect you as a customer? Well, to make sure that YOU, our valued paying customer with Inter Mountain Cable is taken care of and too solve you snowy picture, slow internet and poor digital phone signal we have to send a technician to you house one, two and maybe three times to solve your problem. This adds up in gas and maintenance costs, which maybe passed to you, OUR PAYING CUSTOMERS due to SOMEONE NOT PAYING FOR LEGAL CABLE.

Report Cable Theft and keep your Inter Mountain Cable signal DIGITAL CLEAR!