Questions are swirling over the fate of 13 towers in Washington County. It appears Verizon Wireless will no longer operate in the area after MainePublic.org reported the carrier sent letters to its customers urging them to seek cell phone service with other companies prior to October 17.
Wireless Partners LLC constructed 13 new towers for Verizon to assist with rural buildout in the county only three years ago, but now Verizon is pulling out of multiple agreements to provide service. Maine Public Advocate Barry Hobbins lamented, “They’re doing this all over the country and we’re the first ones who have been reacting to it.”
Jason Sulham, of Wireless Partners, said his company will hold Verizon accountable for the investments his company made in the region. Hobbins explained the feelings of those affected by the sudden turnabout. He said, “It appears that Verizon induced these companies to build out in the rural areas around the country and then significantly promoted it by saying that they’re covering the rural areas, when in fact now after putting those ads out, they’re now not covering the rural areas — in fact, they’re cutting it back.”
When Verizon first offered plans in the area, a crucial selling point was offering no data caps to new customers. However, the operating cost of the incentive was higher than originally thought, which is now causing the carrier to back out of its commitments. Now, the infrastructure providers feel used. Hobbins will meet with Maine Attorney General Janet Mills to determine the state’s response.
September 15, 2017
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