Free calls from traffic lights!

[rbcp]

Thieves rip off SIM cards from Johannesburg's traffic signals

About R8,8 million will be needed to replace components that were stolen from over 400 of the city’s high-tech traffic lights during the past three months.

The high-tech traffic lights scattered across the city use a sim card, modem and GPS system to send and receive information.

The components were ripped out by the criminals from the traffic lights and used to make unlimited calls that have cost JRA a lot of money.

Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) spokesperson Thulani Makhubela described the thefts as a huge blow.

 “The JRA has been severely affected with this crime and this now means we have to fork out more money on something that we should not have spent a cent on,” said Makhubela.
 
Makhubela said they cancelled all the sim cards and were working closely with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to combat the crime.

“We don’t know who is involved but we hope to get to the bottom of it,” said Makhubela.

[ApprenticePhreak]

Exactly when did a traffic light system need such an upgrade from what they currently are? I mean if you want to throw modems, GPS and sim cards into your lights that tell you to stop or go, be my guest. But I'm also wondering who knew these traffic lights had sim cards in them at all; or why they had any of the other components.

In fact with the modem installed inside of the cameras you'd think the sim cards would be virtually useless. Seeing as the only thing the lights would possibly have to do is relay the GPS information back to wherever their (I'm only assuming at this point) server cluster is. And does this mean if they don't pay their AT&T bill on time that they cut off their internet connection and then the entire town is without traffic lights?

[rbcp]

Yeah, it seems like a simple timer would be more than enough to schedule the lights to go into different modes at night and on the weekends.  I'm sure that's how its been done for decades now.

MAYBE it's for when there's a huge event in town and they need to change the lights accordingly.  Though paying city workers to go around flipping switches might be cheaper than paying 400 monthly cell phone bills.  Or MAYBE the traffic lights can be controlled by emergency vehicles so that all their lights turn green when needed.  Because the old-style infrared method was just too cheap for them.  Or MAYBE the cell connections are transmitting traffic camera data.  Or sending in pictures of cars that run red lights.

[nyphonejacks]

none of the excuses why this equipment was in place makes any sense at all...

they could have been wired in some type of wireless mesh network, or they could be hardwired... i am sure that a large city has the employees and resources to have their own internal city wide wired network - i guess similar to fire department pull boxes...

sounds like someone is getting kick backs from the cellular providers, and/or hardware manufacturers...

[handl3r]

What about intersections that have red light cameras in them? They would need a way to send offence info back to an office somewhere. A GSM modem could also be used to phone home if there is any trouble with the lights (burnt out bulbs, etc.)

[rbcp]

Engadget posted some more info about the incident today:

Johannesburg, South Africa had six hundred high-tech traffic signals, each with a cellular modem and GPS chip. The idea was, if one malfunctioned, they'd call home immediately. Well, that plan isn't working out so well, because only two hundred are still in working order -- vandals ripped apart the rest to get at their SIM cards, causing traffic jams and accidents. Apparently, the government-provided cards are a ticket to unlimited free phone calls for the thieves -- at least until the individual devices are identified and their permissions revoked. The Johannesburg Roads Agency told the Mail & Guardian that the crime looks like an inside job, because only the SIM-equipped signals seem to have been targeted so far, despite looking visually identical. The damages are piling up, with the agency figuring it will require ZAR 8.8 million (roughly $1.26 million) to repair the four hundred signals currently out of order. Needless to say, the agency is looking at ways to better secure the traffic lights.

[nyphonejacks]

how about blocking calls or data only to approved numbers or web servers for starters? should be pretty easy to work with the provider to set up some type of walled garden... if the people stealing the SIM cards can not get free calls, and the hardware is also similarly locked down it would be pointless for the theft to occur in the first place...

why doesn't anyone think about security until something happens?

[rbcp]

Or your original point - they should use a wired system since these aren't even for money-making traffic cameras.  Or reserving a normal radio signal for telling when traffic lights are out would be cheaper than 600 wireless phones.  Or how about this - when a cop or a city worker sees a light not working they call it in.  OMG, I'm a genius! 

Also, if they're using LED traffic lights, they're only going to burn out every 20 or 30 years.  Are traffic lights really so unstable that they malfunction often?  For me, it's been a rare thing to see a traffic light out these past 20 or so years.  And when I do see one out, it's almost always related to a wreck or a city-wide power outage.

[handl3r]

Or your original point - they should use a wired system since these aren't even for money-making traffic cameras.  Or reserving a normal radio signal for telling when traffic lights are out would be cheaper than 600 wireless phones.  Or how about this - when a cop or a city worker sees a light not working they call it in.  OMG, I'm a genius! 

Also, if they're using LED traffic lights, they're only going to burn out every 20 or 30 years.  Are traffic lights really so unstable that they malfunction often?  For me, it's been a rare thing to see a traffic light out these past 20 or so years.  And when I do see one out, it's almost always related to a wreck or a city-wide power outage.

They probably got upsold on a bunch of tech they don't need by some sales dude.

[nyphonejacks]

Or your original point - they should use a wired system since these aren't even for money-making traffic cameras.  Or reserving a normal radio signal for telling when traffic lights are out would be cheaper than 600 wireless phones.  Or how about this - when a cop or a city worker sees a light not working they call it in.  OMG, I'm a genius! 

Also, if they're using LED traffic lights, they're only going to burn out every 20 or 30 years.  Are traffic lights really so unstable that they malfunction often?  For me, it's been a rare thing to see a traffic light out these past 20 or so years.  And when I do see one out, it's almost always related to a wreck or a city-wide power outage.

They probably got upsold on a bunch of tech they don't need by some sales dude.

nah i think the more likely reason is someone is getting kick backs from the service provider, or hardware manufacturers....

[MIB]

If that's the case, then someone's going to receive more kickbacks when they have to buy more equipment to replace the stolen ones.

What if the thieves manage to liberate hundreds of sim cards from cell phone stores and and put them in the traffic lights to replace the ones the they stole?

MIB

[kuraz]

good idea that they built a gps system into them. because traffic lights change their location so often, it would be just too much work to manually update a list every time.

[RTF]

I hear their next plan is to put fully functional satellite TV kits in every one of those crosswalk posts with the button you push to hurry the light change so you can cross.

[handl3r]

I hear their next plan is to put fully functional satellite TV kits in every one of those crosswalk posts with the button you push to hurry the light change so you can cross.

I heard that half those buttons are just for show to give you the illusion of control. The other half don't speed up the light at all.

[nyphonejacks]

i do not believe that those pedestrian buttons work in most locations.. especially in places like NYC where lights are on timers... perhaps in places where the traffic lights are controlled by pressure sensors to determine if a car is waiting at a red light they might actually do something... but for the most part i doubt that any of them do much of anything...