Lakewood Ranch residents are frustrated with the lack of cell service in their community, reported YourObserver.com. According to Alan Roth, a longtime Lakewood Ranch resident, and supervisor on the Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 1 board, complaints come in multiple times a week.
“People are frustrated because they live in a big-deal community and they don’t have what’s now considered the most basic service,” Roth said. “There’s no excuse for that.”
And it’s not just a new problem. Lakewood Ranch residents have long been frustrated with the quality of service in the area across all major carriers.
“Pretty much the cell service in the area is nonexistent, or really, really bad,” said resident Roger Highton. “We’ve tried all different sorts of cell providers.” One major concern residents have regarding the lack of service, is connectivity in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
“I think they need it,” said resident Heidi Schild, regarding adding towers. “This area is just getting bigger. The population is exploding here and they have to support it. It’s the way of the future. Everybody is using their cell phone or some kind of device. It’s more necessary than not.”
Back in 2009, a plan for a tower was proposed but the Manatee County Commission denied the application and residents opposed the project at the time, citing aesthetic concerns and health risks. Fast forward to 2018, and some residents say cellp hones have become so important in our culture that the towers should be built, reported YourObserver.com.
In the latest plan to bring better coverage to Lakewood Ranch, community development district boards have been researching small cell technology for about a year, including a proposal from USA CRAN (formerly USA Groups). Currently, Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority is in negotiations with the company regarding the installation of small cell technology on district common areas or rights-of-way.
March 2, 2018
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