I am presently using Nextel and typically I have a signal. Outside it works best, and inside my house is okay. In the basement… Forget it.
As I have a Maryland number my signal is typically coming from Jarrettesville/Forest Hill area. As I travel West towards Shrewsbury I pickup a tower a couple of mile North of Shrewsbury.
As a member of the Hopewell Area Recreation & Parks board I was tasked with contacting the various cell phone companies to see if they were interested in providing coverage on the existing AT&T tower.
Verizon wasn’t even aware the tower was there. Cingular and PCS were thinking about merging so their were no plans to expand their system.
The only company remotely interested in the area was Nextel.
A couple of months ago Nextel agreed to place a tower on the water towers near the elementary school and paid a deposit to reserve space, however the installation was delayed after the Telecommunication companies all took big hits on their stocks. I’m not aware of any new information about Nextel’s plans.
Verizon I know was interested in putting a tower in Shrewsbury, near I83 but the public didn’t want a tower there, and the new tower by the rest stop is off limits except of emergency services.
- Jeff Bruening