Tuesday, 23 January 2007 02:01

Cingular Wireless Says High Rent Forced Tower Relocation

slide8Recently, Cingular Cell Service in the Upper Jackson and Pine Grove areas has become noticeably erratic. For some users of the cell provider conglomerate’s services local service was improved; but for many there was a sudden and dramatic decrease in service. According to Cingular Wireless officials the company is a victim of pure economics regarding their main tower in the Pine Grove area. In 2006, the California Department of Forestry, which owns the Mt. Zion Tower, raised the rent on Cingular Wireless’ Mt. Zion cell site by 10 times making the cost of maintaining the Mt. Zion cell site untenable for the company.  In order to continue to serve customers in the general area, Cingular relocated the Mt. Zion cell site to another location in Pine Grove.

slide9 Regrettably, states Cingular, the Pine Grove cell site does not have the same height of the Mt. Zion location and does not provide an exact match of the Mt. Zion coverage area.  However, the Pine Grove cell site provides improved service for many residents and commuters in the (downtown) Pine Grove area. Cingular immediately began researching options to replicate the service previously available in the Mt. Zion area. Currently, Cingular has decided to once again reach out to the Department of Forestry in an attempt to negotiate a lease that is of fair market value.  If the lease negotiations are successful, Cingular plans to restore service as quickly as possible. 

slide11 With the Department of Forestry’s help, Cingular estimates new service should be available in two to three months. Cingular states they regret the inconvenience to our customers near Mt. Zion.  Once there is restoration of service levels Cingular hopes all of their customers will enjoy the new Pine Grove service which will double in coverage area since December.  Cingular is responding to many complaints they have received from users in the Pine Grove area frustrated with poor service and mixed messages from operators in the Cingular system.