Lack of Cell Service Endangers Community

The town of Sugar Grove, Virginia, is hoping to finally get cell service this year. Even though the southwest Virginia city has two cell towers within 20 miles of the community, the residents there have never had cell services. Sugar Grove is located between several mountains, making it difficult to connect to any carriers’ networks. Not only is it annoying, it’s dangerous. “You’re looking at icy mountain roads, if you have an accident there is no communication. EMS responders [say] they are not able to send or receive information,” resident Sarah Combs told WJHL-TV. Sugar Grove Elementary School has a Verizon broadcaster, which allows calls to be made from inside; however, this poses a different problem. Some people will drive into the school’s parking lot to make a call as they know it’s one of the only places to get cell service even though they’re not supposed to be on school property. “Well the main issue is getting a provider to agree through their engineering studies to bring service to the area…from their standpoint they say it’s always a money issue,” Said Board of Supervisor Representative Rick Blevins. (WJHL-TV)