Expanded Cell Coverage in far northern NH soon

A recent article in the Colebrook Chronicle indicates a big expansion in cell service for the north country of NH. Up until this point cell coverage is very spotty to non existent substantially north of RT2 with almost none along RT 26. If you ever look at the cell coverage maps for the US that the various carriers will use in advertising, northern NH and westerly maine along the Canadian border are generally no coverage areas.

http://www.colebrookchronicle.com/March272015.pdf

I expect that one of the drivers for this in addition to public safety is the rapidly expanding Ride the Wilds ATV trail network which is pulling in a lot of riders from all over. Of course the other one may be to support Northern Pass construction.

I go up north regularly snowmobiling in Pittsburg. I turn off my cell phone in Colebrook since service is unreliable to non-existent above that it seems. In some places you get service from Canada, which of course means you get extra charges. Some places on the snowmobile trails even have signs if there actually is service to help people make contact when there are accidents away from towns (I presume). Many small businesses are offering free cell phone service in their parking lots, but it doesn't reach much further than that.

Will we finally have a signal at Lincoln Woods?

Tim

Probably not, I think the technology is to piggy back a cell site along an fiber line and use VOIP to send the cell signals. The cell antennas still need line of site and Lincoln Woods has a few mountains in the way. There are no utility poles past the last resort housing so the poles would need to be extended to a point were there could be line of site with Lincoln woods and a cell antenna would have to be permitted within line of site of Lincoln Woods on USFS land. Utility power would also be needed unless a PV array and PV array with backup generator were installed.

bikehikeskifish said:

Will we finally have a signal at Lincoln Woods?

Tim

Click to expand...

I usually have one with Verizon, but it is on the fringe.

A general observation is that ATT doesn't have great primary coverage in northern NH. My company got a great deal for an ATT cell plan but if I had gotten on it, ATT informed me last year that if more than 30% of my data and voice usage was in the north country that they would cancel the contract. They apparently have few if any towers in the north country and use third parties to supply service. I did read that they did set up a data only site in Groveton on the new tower but unless this new deal gives them a reason to expand, it looks like I have Verizon.

peakbagger said:

A general observation is that ATT doesn't have great primary coverage in northern NH. My company got a great deal for an ATT cell plan but if I had gotten on it, ATT informed me last year that if more than 30% of my data and voice usage was in the north country that they would cancel the contract. They apparently have few if any towers in the north country and use third parties to supply service. I did read that they did set up a data only site in Groveton on the new tower but unless this new deal gives them a reason to expand, it looks like I have Verizon.

Click to expand...

I had a pre-paid AT&T cell phone for a while since I don't use the phone much. I couldn't get anywhere near reliable service with it anywhere above Franconia Notch. I could be next to a cell tower showing full bars, but it wouldn't let me make a call. I suspect part of that was the pre-paid aspect of the phone. Now with a different carrier, I can actually call my wife and let her know I am on my way home from the northern whites and even further up on snowmobiling weekends.

I get a chuckle out of the ads that boast service where 95% of the population lives. Heck! I want service where nobody lives. The closest to that is Verizon and if you look at their service map, you'll be able to pick out the best places to go hiking and paddling ...

All I want is a cabin in the middle of nowhere NH.....with wifi and cell phone coverage.

BTW, the AT&T service above Franconia Notch improved substantially about 4 months ago. I now have to fib when I say "sorry, headed up North for the weekend, and my cellphone won't work". The bastards.

Some more details

http://www.newhampshirelakesandmoun...-grant-to-include-more-sites-and-service.html

NH spent a lot of money expanding fiber around the north country but to date its been used very little as the population density is to low to make a buck selling the "last mile". I believe that the technology they are planning to use is based on using the fiber trunk.