Officials in Smyth County, VA are asking the public for help in identifying wireless signal dead zones in the community. As SWVA Today reports, the county is exploring the possibility of erecting a cell tower to help reach underserved residents. While the general location is slated for Sugar Grove, narrowing down the best site will factor in connectivity gaps reported by county residents.
Assistant County Administrator Clegg Williams has met with Cell Coverage Mapping, LLC (CCM) to discuss how to spot the dead spots, and figure out how digital outreach could most effectively be delivered to those areas. Williams has encouraged residents to visit CCM’s website and place virtual pins on the county map showing where they have experienced poor or absent cell service. Residents can self-report their connectivity results and place multiple pins in the map. The first pins were placed in September, and already Smyth County is drawing a picture of locations in need of cell service, according to SWVA Today.
So far, compiled results suggest that Sugar Grove, Konnarock, Rich Valley and Nebo are all underserved. Smyth County officials have indicated they are eager to move forward with cell tower plans, including upgrades of their emergency radio systems. CCM has expressed its interest in continuing to work with the county, with CCM’s Faith Lanford stating, “We plan to move forward with filing for a special permit for a new tower in Sugar Grove. We’re preparing our filing materials.”
View results gathered so far, and place additional pins here.
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