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SMN fans weigh in SMN called on its Facebook fans to sound off on the issue of spotty cell service in the mountains. Here’s a sample of the feedback we got. Smoky Mountain News: How would you describe cell phone service in the mountains? How do dead spots affect your daily life? Dry Master Carpet Care: For me the best description would be frustrating. At home, we had to go out on our “phone deck” to make a call. Walk in a store and try to look up something and walk everywhere around the store for a connection. Susan Lynn Fillmore: It’s getting better all the time!!! Brittney Burns: In Otto in Macon County, I do not get any service. I don’t get any at my mom’s house in Whittier in Jackson County either. It is aggravating! Beet L Bailey: It is getting better, mine works great. But it’s over-expensive because there are not many towers and providers here. I pay too much.
Smoky Mountain News
May 1-7, 2013
Andre Paddle Faster Rodriguez: It used to be if you didn’t have Verizon, you couldn’t get much of a signal. I think there are a lot more towers around now. Probably much better. Yvette McClure: I do not have a problem with mine. The only place I find I cannot get reception would be going into the (national) park. If there is a dead spot, it’s not big enough to do anything except end my call, lol. And then I call whoever back. Samantha Faust: Where I live, I get great reception. However, there is very, very little service once you pass WCU and start heading towards East La Porte, Caney Fork, Tuckasegee, and Little Canada. It’s very frustrating. Darlene McKinley Mauffray: When I am in the mountains don’t need cell phone service. Suits me just fine. I am there to enjoy myself and leave all that at home. So it don’t bother me at all with no service. Sandee Wright: Am sitting here in the mountains, with AT&T, on 4G (not “limited”) pretty as you please. Precious little in the way of dead spots. Color me happy. Kim Clayton: Where I live there is poor service so I have to use Frontier for my landline. This is frustrating to pay for both lines especially since the rates keep going up. I wish there was better cell phone reception.
Amy Damian Bermudez: We was stuck in the July storm last year with no service... Not good when you have family that is wor8 ried about you.
More hellos than goodbyes Topography forces cell phone companies to weigh cost-benefit of erecting new towers
in the mountains has improved significantly thanks to the addition of towers — a response by cell companies as more people use the portable devices in their everyday life, not just to make phone calls but to check their email, send family members pictures or post to Facebook. “Everyone has a cell phone, and it is becoming more and more a fact that people have a smart phone,” said Josh Gelina, a spokesman for AT&T. “They are living more and more of their life on a cell phone.”
going to be dropped or I am not going to have service,” said Macon County Planner Matt Mason. As a Realtor, Powell shows homes across Western North Carolina. Although he has never heard anyone say they didn’t buy a home somewhere because of a lack of cell phone service, he said it likely factors into the deciBY CAITLIN BOWLING sion. STAFF WRITER Economic analyst Tom Tveidt in Haywood s long as Realtor Sammie Powell leans County compared cell phone service to the back in his chair in his home office, he expansion of the railroad. The railroad affordcan talk on his cell ed people and products phone all day long. But as greater mobility and access to Cell phone service is spotty in the soon as he stands up to reach places and things. The railmountains. In the valleys, bars can for something across his desk, road, like cell phone and be hard to find, but on mountainhis service goes from good to Internet service today, was tops, people can sometimes pick nonexistent. essential to the economic up a signal from a nearby tower. “I could be sitting at my expansion of a region. desk, and if I lean over, I might “It is important,” Tveidt not pick up,” said Powell, who said. “That is always imporlives and works from his home tant for the kind of industries in Villages of Plott Creek trying to move to places.” neighborhood in Waynesville. But just as the rugged Powell’s situation is not topography made the advent unusual. Villages of Plott of rail, roads and power lines Creek sits just five miles from slow to arrive in the moundowntown Waynesville, but tains decades ago, it is likewise residents still struggle to get stymieing the reach of cell proper cell phone access in phone service today. their homes. Different types of busiBecause of topography and nesses, such as finance compacell tower locations, pockets of nies or call centers, might be Western North Carolina have reticent to move to Western spotty cell phone service or North Carolina if technology none at all. Particularly trouis not available. Businesses blesome areas are those nestend to open in or near towns tled in narrow hollers, up where it is easier to attain against mountain faces, in strong cell service and remote areas or near national Internet capabilities. forest land — but depending But even on a personal on one’s cell phone provider, level, “We are reliant on it,” service can be touch and go Tveidt said. “As we are sitting Cell companies decide where and how many cell towers to put up based anywhere. It’s a daily frustrahere, I looked at several proon how many potential customers they would reach and topography. Each tion for many mountain resiposals on my phone. I took it cell tower can, and typically does, host equipment of multiple cell service dents trying to make a call or for granted that I would be companies. County cell tower ordinances require cell companies to share waiting on an important email able to do that.” towers to avoid duplication of towers on the landscape. to come through on their When something is readily smart phone. Haywood County ........................................................................................25 available, people do not give While many Americans Jackson County..........................................................................................20 much thought to it. It is norhave divested themselves of Macon County............................................................................................15 mal. However, it is difficult not landlines and transitioned Swain County ..............................................................................................7 to notice when something as solely to cell phones over the everyday as cell phone service past decade, many here, like isn’t accessible. Powell, remain married to landline phones Companies are willing to expand service, “You sort of wonder how we did it in the for home or business purposes to make sure including voice and phone Internet capabili- old days,” said Gerald Green, Jackson County they are never unreachable no matter where ties, to areas that demonstrate a demand, planner. they are. which is why people in towns such as Those with spotty service learn to deal with Waynesville, Sylva and Franklin have a strong O LONGER A NOVELTY it, Powell said. They know where in their house connection. their cell phone works and where it doesn’t Not that long ago, it was odd to see some“As population grows, there is better and and adjust accordingly. better service,” said Kris Boyd, Haywood one walking down the street talking on a cell “At our house, there are certain places County planner. phone. where you get it and certain places where you When cell phone companies first started However, head into less populated territodon’t get it,” he said. ry like Glenville in Jackson County, Fines Creek erecting towers in Haywood County in the For Powell though, a finicky cell signal in in Haywood County or Big Cove in Cherokee, late 1990s and early 2000s, many viewed his home is better compared to some who have and people completely lose service. them as an unsightly blemish on the landno service or others who have to stand on their People have learned the exact spot where scape. Public hearings for proposed cell towdeck to take a call. ers would regularly attract 100 people or their conversation will be ended. During the last decade, cell phone service “You know going down the road that I am more, Boyd said.
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Cell towers by county
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