Verizon Wireless customers complain about lack of cell signal where it previously was strong Residents have reported problems to county supervisor, but other communications organizations are unaware

LOS GATOS — Verizon Wireless clients inside the Santa Cruz Mountains are experiencing more-than-usual cell provider problems since the beginning of the year, in step with county residents.

These customers are amongst 326.5 million people in the U.S. With mobile carrier supplied by Verizon Wireless. This equals greater than 98% of the U.S. populace and greater than 2.fifty six million square miles, in step with its website. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, ZIP code 95033 south of Lexington Hills, in which Verizon Wireless clients reported provider problems, Verizon’s interactive coverage map is red, which means the area is included by using 4G/LTE, as of October 2018.

Douglas Lewis, a Santa Cruz Mountains resident, said he has experienced “dead spots” or regions without signal on the west facet of Highway 17, Summit Road, branches of Hutchinson Road, Old Ranch Road and greater. contact verizon support

“The heaps of people who live and paintings in this vicinity have skilled dramatically decreased Verizon Wireless sign strength (bad reception, dropped calls or lack of ability to call or text) since the start of 2019,” Lewis told the Sentinel in an e-mail. “This is now not handiest an inconvenience, however also a great safety trouble. Tradespeople are beginning to say no work inside the mountains due to their incapacity to talk with their places of work and with their customers.”contact verizon help number

The Santa Cruz Mountains is served through 3G and 4G LTE. It is taken into consideration a “variable coverage location,” meaning customers with older 3G gadgets may revel in service troubles, according to Heidi Flato, Verizon external communications spokeswoman. Coverage along elements of Highway 9 is spotty due to the hilly terrain, she stated.

“This means that hills, trees, or other bodily obstructions may save you cell alerts from having a clean line of sight from one cellular website to some other and carrier can be spotty,” Flato stated in an email to the Sentinel. “It is recommended that consumers test our insurance maps earlier than they determine to open an account to make certain our network will offer the provider they want in locations where they plan to use it.”contact verizon customer support

Verizon Wireless was no longer able to reveal the locations of its cell towers within the Santa Cruz Mountains due to safety reasons, however regularly service and monitor its wi-fi facilities, Flato stated.

“Verizon’s network affords the broadest coverage, first-class speeds and unsurpassed reliability,” Flato stated. “We continuously put money into our network so that we are able to offer our customers the best enjoy and the reliability they expect and deserve.”

Carolyn Johnson, a Santa Cruz Mountains resident who lives near the Loma Prieta Winery in Los Gatos, is a Verizon Wireless client whose calls disconnect and now and again don’t even place. She has a Samsung Galaxy S7 cell telephone with 4G.

“For us up here, if we've an emergency, we must have phone provider,” Johnson said. “Verizon used to be the satisfactory company out here, but has degraded in the ultimate six months, as far as I’m concerned.”

The places of work of Santa Cruz County Supervisors John Leopold, Zach Friend and Ryan Coonerty have not obtained court cases about cell provider, consistent with Angela Chesnut, county supervisor’s analyst. But Supervisor Bruce McPherson’s workplace has fielded current court cases.

Two residents from Supervisor Bruce McPherson’s district, which incorporates the San Lorenzo Valley, most of Scotts Valley and a portion of Santa Cruz, have complained within the beyond week that they're seeking to get their vintage landlines serviced by means of AT&T reactivated after switching again from Verizon Wireless, who was providing lower fine service than they expected, in step with County Supervisor’s Analyst Gine Johnson. But AT&T is refusing to carrier older landlines, which can purpose a safety issue if citizens can’t connect to emergency services while needed, she stated. Johnson has not but done studies on AT&T’s antique landlines to confirm these lawsuits.

“We currently provide wi-fi carrier to almost all the Santa Cruz Mountain place,” said Ryan Oliver, media relations director for West Region AT&T Global Media Relations. “We constantly look for ways to improve the enjoy for our customers and are exploring alternatives to expand insurance there within the future.”

Other local communication businesses were now not privy to the difficulty.

PG&E doesn’t preserve cellular towers, most effective electric towers and poles for its transmission and distribution power strains, consistent with Jason King, senior company relations consultant from PG&E.

The county of Santa Cruz reviews cellular tower applications, however does not maintain a database of who documents or when, in step with Jason Hoppin, the county’s communications manager.

The California Public Utilities Commission does now not have any patron proceedings filed within the beyond 12 months for Verizon inside the area, in keeping with Constance Gordon, information officer for the commission.

Cell carrier issues are now not most effective a local problem.

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating some main wireless companies for over-declaring the quantity of their wireless community insurance, according to Vice News. The research follows companies filing maps and records in 2017 on their 4G LTE insurance to assist the FCC decide in which to distribute up to $4.five billion in Mobility Fund cash over the subsequent 10 years, in step with tech news website Ars Technica.

Wireless problems also are a difficulty in natural disasters. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo brought the Wireless Infrastructure Resiliency all through Emergencies and Disasters (WIRED) Act July 18, rules to allow states to require wi-fi businesses to use an infrastructure for mobile telephone networks to better face up to disasters, inclusive of wildfires.

“During many herbal disasters, cell towers are destroyed, leaving people with out the ability to call 9-1-1, acquire indicators or evacuation orders, or download up to date fire facts,” Eshoo said in a press release. “My bill allows states to require wi-fi corporations to install infrastructure that can withstand natural disasters. Resilient infrastructure, consisting of fiber cables with fire-resistant casing, will make certain lines of conversation stay handy between network members and emergency services, saving lives and property.”