MANCHESTER – Things are progressing, although perhaps not as quickly as people would like, when it comes to residents getting improved cellular service in the community. It has been an issue of concern in several senior developments for some time now.
Business Administrator Brandon Umba wanted to make clear during a recent Township Council meeting that any delays were not on the part of the township and while progress was made with one cell phone service supplier, another one is still in negotiation with the township.
Umba explained, “we are working with Verizon and they got their equipment installed (in January) and we are working with them on a launch date as to when that equipment (added to a township-based tower) will go live and everything is ready to go.”
He wanted clarify any perception that the township was holding up installation work by AT&T noting that while “they are paying us, they are not paying us enough money. They asked us to come onto the tower for 50% off of what everyone else was paying and they wanted double the space that was allotted which would increase the space of the area.”
“They (AT&T) wanted to pay half of what was required to go on the tower and also to use two pad sites instead of one. Not only would we not be able to bring another person on that site but it would increase the cell service on the tower,” Umba said.
He added, “that is why the township is working diligently as we want to get AT&T on there but we don’t want them to be pigs.”
“We don’t want them to take up the entire land area and we also think they should pay their fair share because everyone else is paying their fair share,” Umba said. “We are working fast to get AT&T on that tower and the hope is to have them on by the end of the year.”
Umba stressed that AT&T was still a “work in progress. We need to make sure we have room to get other carriers on that tower.”
