VZ Cell reception at Sugarbush

[madhavok]

Its about time! When did they add a cell site?

[djd66]

Its about time! When did they add a cell site?

You can get reception with VZ now? I just switched to ATT - part of the reason was so I could get cell reception in Warren. When did this happen?

[bill-now]

The good news: Yes, we are getting five bars at the base of South.

The (not so) bad news: Didn't bother to charge up the phone.

[madhavok]

It must have happened in the last week or so.

[Go Figure]

The sale of Unicel to Verizon is complete. ATT will be taking over Vermont in the next few weeks as Verizon had to sell VT. to avoid antitrust. Perhaps a deal was made to allow Verizon use of towers they briefly owned. Unicel contracts will be honered for up to a year.

[Strat]

AT&T/Unicel cannot share towers with Verizon - GSM technology vs CDMA technology, which are incompatible. 5 bars of Verizon at Sugarbush means they've finally started upgrading in our area, maybe to start competing more actively with AT&T...

[shadyjay]

Found this out today from a co-worker... definetely is GOOD NEWS!
It's a COW site... (cell on wheels) in 22 Acres Lot (Lot F n' G) at the base of Lincoln Peak. My guess is that something more permanent will be constructed in the not-too- distant future, perhaps on the mountain, to cover more of the Valley, as the COW only covers the upper half of the access road, in addition to around LP.

[noski]

8) That is WICKED cool!

[mattlucas]

thanks win!

[ski_resort_observer]

Found this out today from a co-worker... definetely is GOOD NEWS!
It's a COW site... (cell on wheels) in 22 Acres Lot (Lot F n' G) at the base of Lincoln Peak. My guess is that something more permanent will be constructed in the not-too- distant future, perhaps on the mountain, to cover more of the Valley, as the COW only covers the upper half of the access road, in addition to around LP.

Makes sense as that is where the Unicel tower has been for several years.

[skibum1321]

That's great news. Now let's make it permanent and cover the Valley. I still get nothing on Bragg Hill. Looks like I won't have to switch to ATT after all...

[Fourwide]

Funny--I just switched over to AT&T last week! Regardless, I'm happy for all of you with Verizon service.

[summitchallenger]

Anything at Ellen side?

[teleo]

This is great news. I'm glad people posted, because I don't even try anymore and never would have noticed.

[win]

The news is posted on the website now. Verizon had planned to rent a site from us and put service in this summer. We offered them a free site until then if they would get it in asap. They did expedite the work and permitting, and it just went live a couple of days ago.

[outofshape]

Thank you!

[shadyjay]

The news made the headlines on FOX44, the Burlington VT Fox affiliate last week. Prior to this past November, I was in charge of surveying the cell phone sites throughout Vermont. Sugarbush has been on our list for a while but they were still working on finding a permanent site. Since I'm no longer with that company, I most likely will not be surveying the new site when it goes in on the mountain but I did do sites at Bromley, Magic, Stratton, Okemo, Ascutney, Stowe, and Mt Snow, driving my work truck up the mountain access roads. It was interesting and some great views during the summer, but cold working in the winter.

No complaints now with my new job :D
And even better now that my phone works - since I just signed a new 2-yr contract.

[flakeydog]

So do we know if this is a real effort by Verizon to cover the Mad River Valley or is it just on the mountain? I could never get an answer out of them on future plans so I switched.

I would switch back to verizon but no coverage in the valley is a total deal-breaker for me. Cell-one/Unicel (soon to be at&t I guess) is the only choice down here. It always seemed to be such a gaping hole in coverege that they never addressed.

[shadyjay]

Verizon prefers to have its sites connected in a "string", such as the Rt 7 corridor, I-89, I-91, etc... vs "island" sites. Given the fact that the Bush sits on the edge of civilization... bordering Granville Gulf to the south, they are more than likely aiming to get the ski areas first. However, a site on the top of Lincoln Peak or Mt Ellen may be able to cover the Valley. The other option for them would be to come down 100/100B from the Moretown site (which is actually more Middlesex than Moretown), serve the Valley and the Bush, then head over AppGap towards Bristol and connect back in with the Rt 7 network.

In a related topic, VZW coverage has been filled in on I-91 in southern Vermont... the former dead zone between the MA/VT line and Brattleboro is gone. We did a dozen sites on 91 between there and White River Jct in the past 2 years. Nice to see the fruits of our labor payed off with continuous coverage. Benefits not just visitors, but residents of VT as well.

[John Walden]

So......is it safe to say that Verizon is here to stay????????? I was shocked last weekend to get service on the mountain for the first time. I got my wife a cell phone with Sprint just to use at Sugarbush. I have Verizon .

[flakeydog]

Sounds like VZ is throwing a bone to their existing customers (giving some service in a total dead zone) but probably not enough to convert unicel/att customers. This is great news for verizon customers that assume their phones work here (like in the comercials) but come to find out they do not. :?

Any Verizon users, can you comment on where you are getting service and where it ends? Sounds like at South but not North, etc...

[chuck]

I get service from West Hill road, when the road goes to dirt

[skibum1321]

There is definitely no service on or near Waitsfield Village or on Bragg Hill Rd.

If Verizon doesn't actually expand to cover the Valley then I still consider this pretty worthless. Most phone calls I make on the weekend are at night after I've left the mtn. Maybe I'm abnormal in that regard, but I somehow doubt it.

[Hawk]

I get 5 bars at my condo and on the hill. That's all that matters to me.... :wink: I was about to switch service and now I will be cancelling my land line at the condo. They just saved a customer and took one away from another compeditor.

[Yard Sale]

AT&T works well just about all over the valley, 89 etc.

[teleo]

5 bars at my condo in sugarbush village, LP village and the hill. Drops out about 3/4 of the way down the access road. Similar to Hawk, was thinking about switching, but now won't.

[win]

We are going to work with them on more permanent locations, so I am hoping that service will cover both base areas and much of the Valley before the end of the year.

[rfm]

Just wanted to say thanks Win, having the VZ in the area is a great help. Over the years I've run into a few people in the parking lot outside of my Condo wandering about looking for a cell signal. It a big convenience for both the owners and renters

[Lostone]

Watched someone skiing down Hot Shot on Saturday, while he was talking on the phone. I'm sure it was so verrrry important. :roll:

[GolfingOwl]

From the view of a vacationer, this is just smart business. One of my hangups (pun intended) with SB was the lack of Verizon coverage. Whether it's being able to communicate with my wife on the mountain or the unfortunate times I need to be contacted for business (I loathe taking business calls on vacation) or a family emergency (the ski school asks for your cell number, for instance) being shut out of coverage for a week while on vacation can be a problem. Don't know if people would go so far as to not vacation at SB if there is not coverage, but it can be an issue. If you don't believe me, scan the Alpine Zone message boards sometime and you'll see threads regarding inquiries about coverage of carrier X at Mountain Y - obviously people care.

[noski]

Don't know if people would go so far as to not vacation at SB if there is not coverage, but it can be an issue.

Indeed, people do make that choice. Verizon service to the MRV has been hard fought and going on for at least 3 years that I have been aware, probably longer. While I was not directly involved in the final realization of their arrival, I sure am glad!

[ski_resort_observer]

From the view of a vacationer, this is just smart business. One of my hangups (pun intended) with SB was the lack of Verizon coverage. Whether it's being able to communicate with my wife on the mountain or the unfortunate times I need to be contacted for business (I loathe taking business calls on vacation) or a family emergency (the ski school asks for your cell number, for instance) being shut out of coverage for a week while on vacation can be a problem. Don't know if people would go so far as to not vacation at SB if there is not coverage, but it can be an issue. If you don't believe me, scan the Alpine Zone message boards sometime and you'll see threads regarding inquiries about coverage of carrier X at Mountain Y - obviously people care.

Wow...I guess the cell phone is the new heroin and the crackberry is the new....... :wink:

[GolfingOwl]

From the view of a vacationer, this is just smart business. One of my hangups (pun intended) with SB was the lack of Verizon coverage. Whether it's being able to communicate with my wife on the mountain or the unfortunate times I need to be contacted for business (I loathe taking business calls on vacation) or a family emergency (the ski school asks for your cell number, for instance) being shut out of coverage for a week while on vacation can be a problem. Don't know if people would go so far as to not vacation at SB if there is not coverage, but it can be an issue. If you don't believe me, scan the Alpine Zone message boards sometime and you'll see threads regarding inquiries about coverage of carrier X at Mountain Y - obviously people care.

Wow...I guess the cell phone is the new heroin and the crackberry is the new....... :wink:

It's a part of life for better or worse. They have actually been around for few years in case you haven't noticed :lol:

[chuck]

FWIW, here's my 2 cents. As a person in a fast paced pressure cooker business, I truly enjoyed not having cell service at the mountain. I'm not telling my staff OR my wife i get service on the mountain. They need to reach me, call guest services and leave a message. I'll call back when i come out of the woods........

[vonski]

FWIW, here's my 2 cents. As a person in a fast paced pressure cooker business, I truly enjoyed not having cell service at the mountain. I'm not telling my staff OR my wife i get service on the mountain. They need to reach me, call guest services and leave a message. I'll call back when i come out of the woods........

Ahh! the luxury of skiing North! there still is no service at North.

[sgottmann]

Coming up Friday for the first time this winter. Need to do a little work. Any word on Verizon coverage at South. Thanks.

[win]

There is Verizon coverage at South. We gave them a temporary tower last year, and they are now permitted for a permanent tower about Village Road. However, the permit did not get completed soon enough to et the permanent tower in by winter. Coverage works ok of LP side of the mountain. They are now talking to us about putting a tower at ME which is great news. Probably not this winter, though.

[sgottmann]

There is Verizon coverage at South. We gave them a temporary tower last year, and they are now permitted for a permanent tower about Village Road. However, the permit did not get completed soon enough to et the permanent tower in by winter. Coverage works ok of LP side of the mountain. They are now talking to us about putting a tower at ME which is great news. Probably not this winter, though.

Thanks for the update -- enjoy the powder.

[Plowboy]

They are now talking to us about putting a tower at ME which is great news. Probably not this winter, though.

There were some guys putting up what they called a "temporary Verizon tower" today at the bottom of Snowflake(old T-bar @ ME). They didn't say when it would be running though.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i273/MX51/DSC00055.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i273/MX51/DSC00054.jpg

[gostan]

Are you sure that tower is not being placed to measure the snow totals at ME this winter? :P

[ski_resort_observer]

Are you sure that tower is not being placed to measure the snow totals at ME this winter? :P

:lol: I like the way you think!

[win]

There will be a temporary tower at Mount Ellen - hopefully by Christmas it will be operational and therefore even better coverage around the MRV.