Business Page: Can You Hear Me Now? Lawmakers Decry Cape’s Spotty Cell Phone Coverage

CHATHAM – The Cape and Islands’ legislative delegation has sent a letter to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon complaining about spotty coverage and dropped calls, particularly during the summer months. In addition to a safety concern, the spotty coverage hinders the local economy and makes it harder for residents and visitors to connect with the services and businesses they need, the legislators argued.

 The concerns were raised in an Aug. 29 letter penned by State Sen. Julian Cyr, D–Truro; State Rep. Hadley Luddy, D–Orleans; and five other members of the Cape and Islands’ legislative delegation. The letter was sent to regional government affairs representatives from AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Communications.

 The lawmakers argued that they know the problem of weak cellular service first-hand, because they travel throughout the region and rely on mobile devices to carry out their work.

 “We utilize a range of providers, yet we share a common experience: carriers do not meet the demand for service during the peak summer months,” they wrote. The lawmakers said that they often hear from constituents who report dropped calls and unreliable signals on a regular basis.

 “These service failures are more than an inconvenience; they risk public safety, strain local economies, and hinder access to essential services for residents, businesses, and visitors alike,” the letter reads.

 “In some areas, residents and visitors cannot place emergency calls or conduct basic communication tasks without leaving their homes or traveling to areas with stronger reception. These limitations are particularly troubling when mobile services [are] too often the only means of contacting emergency responders on beaches, trails or other remote areas. Public safety officials have also reported that unreliable cellular connectivity during emergencies has hindered response efforts. These incidents underscore the critical need to expand and strengthen cell infrastructure in underserved areas,” the legislators wrote.

 The anecdotal reports are backed up by data compiled in the Barnstable County Broadband Needs Assessment released by the Cape Cod Commission a year ago. In addition to focusing on the high price and low reliability of fixed broadband internet service, the report found that mobile download speeds generally dropped by 16 percent during the summer; it also identified a number of service gaps in mobile network coverage.

 “More than 40 percent of residents surveyed report experiencing slowdowns or dropped connections at least once a week, and more than 20 percent report such issues daily,” the lawmakers wrote.

 The letter urges the wireless providers to begin by acknowledging the service deficiencies on the Cape and Islands, and to provide a public plan and timeline for improving coverage, speed and network resilience. Lawmakers are also asking the companies to work proactively with regional and municipal officials to share data and coordinate infrastructure solutions and to boost customer support systems to respond quickly to service disruptions and outages.

 “Reliable telecommunications infrastructure is fundamental to public safety, economic activity, education, healthcare access, and civic participation,” the letter concludes. “We urge your companies to treat this issue with the urgency it warrants and to take immediate, transparent action to improve service quality across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.”

 In emails to The Chronicle, the wireless providers responded to the lawmakers’ letter.

 “AT&T has responded to the legislators, and we look forward to continuing conversations with them about our investment in the community and across Cape Cod and the Islands,” spokesperson Karen Twomey wrote. Since 2004, the company has installed 10 new cell sites on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard and completed upgrades to 17 additional sites to help bring enhanced 5G service and coverage to residents and visitors, an AT&T blog post reads. The planned improvements include work on a site in Dennisport, but no additional work on the Lower or Outer Cape.

 A Verizon spokesperson indicated that the company’s cellular infrastructure is heavily taxed by dramatic seasonal population surges like the one on Martha's Vineyard, which has a year-round population of around 23,000 that surges to nearly 200,000 in the summer. There, the company is working to improve capacity by installing new “macro cell site solutions” as well as 35 new “small cell solutions” around the island, due to be activated next year. The spokesperson did not immediately provide information on any planned improvements on the Lower Cape.

 T-Mobile USA did not respond to a request for comment.