While the internet is the new infrastructure, mobile infrastructure is crucial. I’ve had clients in the Charlottesville – Albemarle area choose to not buy property because 1) hard-wired internet accessibility – fiber (very limited), or DSL or cable – is not available and/or 2) Reliable cell phone service is not available (GSM AT&T and T-Mobile) tends to be worse than CDMA – US Cellular, nTelos, Verizon, Sprint).
Charlottesville Tomorrow reports that “The Albemarle Board of Supervisors has voted to pay a consultant to determine if the county’s existing policy on cell towers will impede implementation of the next generation of wireless communications services.”
Infrastructure – wired and wireless is crucial for quality of life, competitiveness and economic development. Let’s hope the County figures this out.
I would add disaster response and emergency services to your list of benefits. All counties have reverse 911 systems that can communicate important messages to the public when necessary, and higher capacity can be important when many people need to communicate at the same time. Remember the few hours after the August earthquake?
Cell towers are necessary, but the number and locations are getting visually ugly, to the extent they are taking away significantly from the visual amenity of the natural environment. I was particularly saddened when i saw the big one now being constructed on the East (right hand side) side of 64 in the beautiful, unspoiled area going by Waynesboro.
From what I’ve seen from the County and City in recent months, I have very little hope that they will come to realize that residents demand this service and that the only problem getting it is the county itself. The only problem with cell service in the area is the location and umber of towers.