Who knew that the copper wiring in your network was such an investment? Thieves everywhere are stealing copper as prices for the commodity have stayed at high levels - and they're risking their lives to get it.

Blame China. Apparently the country's rapid economic growth is behind the huge worldwide demand for copper. According to a Bloomberg article this week, demand for copper in China may increase as much as 10% this year. Prices will reach $3.50 per pound in the next few weeks, and may soon rebound to the record of $4 set last year.

Last week the Lowell (Mass.) Sun reported that two men were electrocuted when they allegedly tried to steal copper wiring from a transformer in Tyngsboro, Mass.

These were not the sharpest tools in the shed. They had applied bolt cutters to a wire that carried 13,000 volts, according to the paper.

Stealing copper is, of course, rampant. Over a year ago I relayed the news of 130 light poles that had been stolen from Baltimore streets because they were filled with electrical wires. But there are tons of more recent examples.

In Memphis last week, WREG-TV (Memphis) reported that thieves had been stripping copper from air-conditioning units at local businesses. In a recent case, someone turned on a vandalized air conditioner, and the thieves had left loose wires in the wall - the resulting fire did $45,000 worth of damage to a beauty shop.

In Palm Springs, Calif., two were arrested this week for allegedly stealing copper from wind towers. In Honolulu, experts this week estimated it would cost taxpayers a million bucks to replace the 225 light poles stolen from the sides of Hawaiian freeways. Police said the value of the stolen copper was about $420,000.

I could go on and on.

Now the target is mostly large electrical equipment, where the most copper is, so your Cat-5E copper wiring is probably pretty safe. But hey, you never know. How 'bout that fiber?

Jeff Caruso is site editor at Network World.