Thursday, June 23, 2011

Cellular buyout reduces service in a rural town; could your community be next?

A recent buyout of cellular telephone contracts left residents of Montello, Nev., population 216, with unreliable cell service, Alex Cabrero of The Deseret News in Salt Lake City reports. Residents say they haven't been able to get reception for about six months as a result of AT&T's purchase of Alltel's contracts.

"When the tower is not working, we have to pack the baby up, pack our computer, get our phones and chargers, and drive," Montello resident Ellen Goldsborough told Cabrero. Her husband, Geoff Goldsborough, added, "It's been a very frustrating situation for us. . . . In a rural environment, cellphones are more than just a convenience for us. They're security. They're safety."

A spokeswoman for AT&T said its tower is ready but "The company is still working on infrastructure to carry the signals from the tower to a switching station," Cabrero reports. When the tower isn't working, Verizon customers are also affected. (Read more)

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