Poor Cell Signal Likely Due To Verizon Decommissioning Equipment

RESTON, VA — Taralyn Kohler did not have to do much to convince Patch that she was experiencing poor cell reception in Reston. All she had to do was try to call the reporter on her cellphone, as she was leaving her Lake Anne home in the backseat of an Uber.

After a series of "I can't hear you's" and "What did you say?" plus two hangups and callbacks, she was finally able to establish a strong enough signal near Wiehle Avenue and the Dulles Toll Road to tell her story.

About a month ago, Kohler began to notice that she was having a hard time keeping a signal on both here personal and work phones.

"Certain people call me and say, 'I can't hear you, Tara. I can't hear you.' It got worse and worse and worse to the point where I couldn't even have a remotely productive conversation," she said. "I thought it was my phone, so I went to AT&T and bought a very expensive new iPhone to the tune of about 850 bucks. ... It still doesn't work. In fact, it's gotten really, really bad over the last couple of days."

Related: Cell Service Disruption Possible As Verizon Tower Plans Stall

Back in February, Patch first reported that residents in the Lake Anne area might soon experience a drop in their cell service, after Verizon Wireless withdrew its plan to install new equipment on the roof of the Heron House. This site was chosen to replace cell equipment that was scheduled to be removed from the roof of Lake Anne Fellowship House, which was slated to be demolished this summer.

"We were notified that the Lake Anne Fellowship House, where we have a small cell site, is being torn down," Karen Schulz, a Verizon Wireless spokeswoman, told Patch on Tuesday. "This is requiring us to decommission that small cell site. Surrounding sites servicing the neighborhood will provide coverage, however some customers may experience congestion and slower speeds."

Without the new tower, wireless coverage would be disrupted within a 1.9-square-mile area in the vicinity of Lake Anne, according to Rick Novak of Site Link Wireless, who was representing Verizon at the Dec. 9 meeting of the Fairfax County Architectural Review Board.

To ensure there would be no disruption to service, Verizon planned to install six concealed antennas as well as accessory equipment and cabinets on the roof of the Heron House, which is in the Lake Anne Historic Overlay District. The new tower would also serve Sprint customers.

When asked in December if Verizon had investigated any alternative sites for the cell tower or whether light towers could be used instead, Novak told the ARB that 40-foot towers were not an option and the Heron House was the best choice in the service area based on its height. At Novak's request, the board deferred the application

"Despite being met by some initial resistance from the County Architectural Review Board, we continue to work on securing new real estate to deploy a replacement site," Schulz told Patch on Tuesday. "Zoning ordinances prohibit deployment of a temporary asset, so we’re actively looking for alternate locations for a new small cell site in that neighborhood."

Salem Bush of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development confirmed that while Verizon had not resubmitted its plan to the county, it was working to find an alternate location.

One suggestion that came up at the ARB meeting in December was to shift the equipment that was being removed from the old Fellowship House building to the newly constructed Lake Anne Fellowship House.

If Verizon decides to go that route, it would require special approval from the county, according to Bush.

"It's considered a colocation on the building," he said. "We prefer telecommunication providers to try to colocate on existing structures, buildings or other monopoles, other structures in the county rather than building new ones. It's less clutter and, if there's already available sites to do that, it tends to be a better option. We try to encourage that."

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn's office is coordinating with the cellphone carriers to identify a short-term solution as well as a long-term antenna location.

"I understand this is a frustrating situation and my office is doing what we can to help facilitate a quick resolution," he said, in a post in the Hunter Mill District Newsletter. "If you have questions or concerns about your coverage, I encourage you to contact your cell phone carrier."