Cell service in Greenburgh is horrible--seeking meeting with high level officials from Verizon

Cell service is horrible in much of Greenburgh --very widespread. See an earlier post on the town website with almost 100 complaints from residents --from different neighborhoods. Today, while driving around Hartsdale and Edgemont, I experienced a few disrupted calls in the middle of important conversations. Residents have complained about poor reception, having difficulty making calls from inside their homes. Most of the complaints are with Verizon. Residents have reported that service has deteriorated even in locations where they previously were reliable.https://www.greenburghny.com/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/3758
THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUEResidents who complain mention that they are worried that they can't contact family members during emergencies. This is very troubling for senior citizens and people living alone.
TEXT MESSAGES MAY BE DELAYEDText messages may be delayed or fail to send. Internet access on phones is also slow in some neighborhoods.
WE NEED A JOINT MEETING WITH TOWN BD, ANTENNA BD, VERIZON AND OTHER PROVIDERS TO DISCUSS REASONS FOR POOR SERVICEI will ask the Town Board and the Antenna to hold a joint meeting and to invite Verizon and other providers to discuss reasons why there are so many outages, dropped calls, and what action steps could be taken to address this major problem.
WE NEED TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS ON THE ANTENNA REVIEW BOARDThe Antenna Review Board only consists of three members (Catherine Lederer Plaskett, Dianne Torstrup and Bryan Lavetan). The Board is responsible for reviewing proposed cell towers, wireless antennas, and telecommunication equipment installation.I believe that the Board should be expanded to include residents from more neighborhoods around town. The responsibilities of the members include reviewing applications for new cell towers, wireless antennas, evaluating proposed locations and visual impacts, and making decisions on certain aesthetic and visibility requirements.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE ANTENNA BOARD?If you have an interest in serving on the Antenna Board please e mail townboard@greenburghny.com. If you would like to be notified of meetings on this issue please reach out to townboard@greenburghny.com.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO UPDATE THE TOWN BOARD WITH CELL SERVICE COMPLAINTS --will ask for a a cell service complaint data base. Identify your street, carrier, nature of problem and time of day. E mail townboard@greenburghny.com. By keeping the Board informed you will highlight the importance of this issue.
WE NEED TO DEMAND AN EXPLANATION FOR POOR SERVICE FROM VERIZON AND A TIMETABLE FOR IMPROVEMENTWe also need to have the Greenburgh police and fire departments involved --neighborhoods that have inadequate access for emergency communications need to get more priority attention. I am reaching out to the CEO of Verizon asking that a high level official from Verizon meet with the Town Board at a public meeting.
Reliable cell service is no longer a luxury. It is essential. We all pay substantial monthly bills and deserve to be able to make telephone calls, send text messages and access the internet from our homes and when we are driving. I also plan to reach out to the NYS Public Service Commission asking that residents who experience dropped calls get a reduction in their bills for the poor service.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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