Cellular Tower service on Beaver Island

[GregMacMaster]

I hope I wasn't the only one who could drive from town to the airport and have a 'No Signal' on my AT&T phone. I have received an e-mail recently asking me to inquire but before I do, I'd like to get some opinions from others before I have a meeting in Lansing to address it.

Sound off people! What say you Beaver Island?

[Gillespie]

From my perspective the service has been less than adequate, especially lately and in view of a busy holiday weekend it should have been anything but! The service, however, has been pretty sporadic most of this season and there are periods where it is quite spotty!

[Terry Frysinger]

The spotty AT&T cell service isn't just an inconvenience, its a safety issue.
Many people no longer have land lines and rely on this spotty service to connect with emergency support.

[JFPowers]

I lease the tower in town to AT&T. I often have no service directly under the antenna. I was contacted a few months ago by a cable laying company that was going to increase the number of T1 lines to the control box behind the hardware store to improve the quality of the as you have noted above very sporadic and poor quality service. I have not seen or heard from the company since. The ultimate solution is for AT&T to put the antenna on top of the Donegal Bay tower and run the correct amount of T1 lines to the tower. What is exasperating is that the same antenna on the hardware store building, if moved to the Donegal Bay tower will provide service all across the north end of the island from shore to shore. AT&T apparently does not sense any urgency in getting this work done and if a meeting is held what they need to understand is that visitors come to Beaver Island from all over the world and having shoddy service on Beaver Island is a bad representation of their company and the effects of such poor service is felt way beyond Beaver Island.

[thenomads]

Down at Nomad it is rare to have any cellular service. We have to drive about 4 miles (up to the Wagner Campground) before we get service.

[esteger]

When last I knew there is no service for Verizon. Any change?

[joddy]

i am on a liver transplant list and i get nervous whenever i am out of
reach of my land line. zero cell service at our home.
thank you ~~~~ joddy

[Maureen Abele]

Service varies between sporadic and non-existent. Calls often get dropped, even when I'm in the middle of downtown.

[Jack Gallagher]

Representatives of an engineering firm working with Verizon visited the Island last Thursday to look at their tower on Kings Highway. They indicated that Verizon plans to replace their existing tower with one capable of providing "4G" service to the Island. They indicated that Verizon plans to provide this service in July 2012. They may also consider using the St James Township tower on Donegal Bay and possibly Peaine's tower on East Side Drive at the Fire Hall. Will keep you advised as more is learned. Expanded cell phone service may yet become a reality for the Island. Jack Gallagher

[Batman]

We need ATT most people here have ATT and are under contract people cant switch so efforts should be with ATT if you ask me
Both would be great too

[Tuneman]

We have TracFone's and they are serviced by Mobile 1 and we get better service than most people. I think it's because our cell phones can use any tower that is within reach of our cell phone, and not just AT&T cell phone towers. We get signal all the way to Donnell'Mor's Lane that runs by the county airport. We also get signal anyplace on the southend of the island where we are near the lake from towers across the lake on the mainland. We think that service to this island should be from all 3 towers that are on the island already. As long as we can get any type of cell phone service anywhere on the island would be Great! Especially in case of emergencies!

Mike.

[Gillespie]

Representative MacMaster, I sat on the porch of Harbor Market this morning in the wide open air having a cup of coffee and could not make a phone call for over an hour!! This is bull! These people do have a reasonable responsibility to provide reasonable coverage! My phone showed a full bars signal and yet I could not get a call to go through. Somehow the fact that they are selling us a service which will not work is out of order! The antennas for the cellular system are only 3 doors away! Please help us here! It would be different if I were somewhere on the fringe edge of service, thank you!

[Beaver Island Jewelry]

It is ridiculous in this technological time that Beaver Island does not have full cell coverage. My cell service ends at the turnoff off King's Highway to McCauley Road. And many times as I'm trying to use the 3G service on my iPad for a financial transaction for my jewelry business - in town - the cell service does not work! That is very enlightening to visitors; they are astounded that it doesn't even work in town.

Mainly this is a safety issue for folks who are lost in the woods (beyond cell service), heart attacks, boaters. I know we don't have a heavy population here but like one person said -- the word goes out far and wide that Beaver Island does not have cell service! I am sure that will keep some tourists away.

Thank you for any help in obtaining cell service for our community and island.