Politics & Government

Residents Pushing Hamilton Leaders to Improve Cell Reception

The Hamilton Board of Selectmen has received a lot of feedback about cell phone reception in town.

Concern about cell phone reception in Hamilton had prompted resident reaction that has nearly exceeded what the Board of Selectmen heard in the lead up to this summer’s special town meeting about the town’s possible purchase of the Pirie property.

That’s according to Marc Johnson, the chairman of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen, as he met with the Planning Board on Tuesday night to figure out if there is a way that town government can work to improve reception in the town.

Johnson said Selectman Jennifer Scuteri has been in contact with officials at the Second Congregational Church in Hamilton and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary about whether there is room in the steeples to locate a new cell phone tower.

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Johnson said there are already some towers at Gordon-Conwell, but town officials are waiting to hear which service providers have towers there. The Congregational Church is in discussions with a cell phone company about locating a tower in its steeple, Johnson said.

“Between those two steeples we could probably address the missing link,” he said, without constructing a new tower on near Town Hall or the public safety building.

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Johnson also said the Board of Selectmen could consider hiring a consultant to map reception in Hamilton for the major carriers, and then use that data to determine exactly where – and what size – towers would be needed to fill any gaps. It would still be up to the private cell phone providers to locate and build a tower, though.


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