The Mills River Town Council is hoping to remedy the lack of cell service in rural, sparsely populated areas, reported the Hendersonville Times-News.
Lynn Bryson, an area resident, has lived in Mills River for 26 years and has never had cell service, driving two-and-a-half or three miles to pick up a signal. “Just because we’re a small rural community, I don’t think that means we should be left out,” she said.
The “dead zone” along North and South Mills River roads is used by cyclists and hikers as well as home to residential properties, summer camps, a recreation area, churches, farms, and businesses. With no service available, some people have tried signal boosters to no avail and it’s a “real safety issue,” according to residents. There’s no internet service available to Mills River residents either.
This lack of redundancy in communication options is a concern to Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald. His deputies communicate via radio, which isn’t always reliable, plus in a crisis when cell towers may be overloaded, text messages can’t get through. With cell service available in the area, people will have more redundancy with their communications, “which is good for the safety and welfare of the community,” McDonald said.
These are the reasons why Bryson is advocating for a tower in the area and has spoken with several landowners interested in leasing space to Verizon. Mayor Larry Freeman is on board and said the council is taking action. “Believe you me, the council will do everything we can to get service up there,” Freeman said.
September 19, 2017
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