A World Without Cell Service....Is It Such A Bad Thing!!!

The APA has set regulations to keep the area within the Blue Line free from the eyesores of radio towers. The height of towers cannont exceed 38 ft which is the average height of trees in the region. Recently there have been several victories that have allowed "Franken Pine" like cell phone towers on land on the park edges, primarily in the Lake George area.


Franken Pine

The problem I have with this is that cell phone coverage is not a right. As a matter of fact I dare say, not everyone in the world even owns a cell phone. And while these dead spots along the Northway are known dead spots, there are millions of similar dead spots in the US. Vermont, which is littered with radio towers has spoty cell service with Verizon which is by far the best service in Vermont. NH, has similar issues, even along I-93. Worse on the secondary roads.

This is certainly an inconvenience but to make it seem to be more than that is absurd. We've simply become too dependent on a connection to the outside world. Anytime that is broken we feel there is a problem.

Personally, I'm adamantly opposed to violating APA regulations for cell towers. If cell service can be delivered without large towers I am not opposed to it. However, cell companies are unwilling to foot the cost for this because smaller towers require more towers. Quite simply they could use the existing phone structures (there is a phone every 1 mile on the Northway) and place mini towers, also put short towers at the rest areas. Would there still be dead spots? Yes. Are there dead spots in Manhattan? Yes.

One of the great things about the Adirondacks, different from Vermont and New Hampshire. Is the lack of towers, satelites, and other man made eyesores from the summits.

JS



Environmental groups back temporary towers

By MAURY THOMPSON
thompson@poststar.com
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 1:55 AM EST

It's debatable:

Should the state invest time and taxpayer dollars in setting up temporary cell phone coverage in the Adirondacks, or should it devote its efforts solely to a permanent solution?


The issue of poor cellular phone service along portions of the Northway has received prominent attention since Alfred Langner of Brooklyn died in late January while trapped in his vehicle, which left the Northway, hit a culvert, became airborne and landed in an area where the vehicle was difficult to see from the highway.

Langner and his wife, who survived, were trapped in their vehicle and were unable to get cellular service at the accident site for more than 24 hours, according to State Police.

Other organizations in the coalition are The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the Sierra Club's Atlantic Chapter.

In a press release, the group called for the state to fund a cellular phone plan that does not require suspending Adirondack Park Agency and other environmental regulations.

The organizations wanted to show they are united in support of a plan proposed several years ago to erect about 30 cellular phone service polls, about 38 feet in height, along the Northway between the Pottersville and Peru exits, said Sheehan, of the Adirondack Council.

"The environmental community is just as anxious to get service out there as everyone else," he said.

Little said Tuesday it may be possible to modify the original proposal to include a few towers taller than 38 feet, either disguised as trees or placed at rest stops.

"There's room for compromise here," she said.

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