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NYC moves to identify, stamp out cell phone dead spots
NEW YORK (AP) -- Can you hear me now? Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city will try to root out cell phone dead spots by asking people to report places where they can't get service. "Cell phones generally provide a great service," Bloomberg said Monday. "The trouble is that every once in a while cell phones don't work -- and cell phones don't work exactly at the wrong time, or in places that you are, and it's very annoying." He said it also was dangerous because people might be unable to place 911 calls in certain areas. Bloomberg said frustrated callers should phone -- from a landline, presumably -- the city's 311 help line to report trouble spots. The information -- including the cell phone carrier and whether the call was attempted indoors or outside -- will be collected and disseminated to the public beginning November 24. That date coincides with the effective day of a federal law that will allow mobile phone customers to switch carriers while maintaining their phone number. The city said it also will begin to monitor wireless carriers to ensure that the companies are following industry guidelines for consumer services, including disclosing rates and terms of service and allowing for trial periods on new purchases. Though a recent J.D. Power and Associates study ranked New York last in customer satisfaction and call quality in the nation's 27 largest cell phone markets, Bloomberg took care not to criticize wireless phone companies. As is the case in most places, mobile phone use in the city has increased exponentially during the past several years. In 1999, there were 3 million cell phone subscriptions in the city; this year, there are 10.5 million. The city has a population of about 8 million. During the 2001 World Trade Center attack and this summer's blackout, many cell phone calls, including those made to 911, failed to connect. But Verizon Wireless defended its service, emphasizing maintenance and improvements. "Verizon Wireless test drives its network every day over several thousand miles, spending $1 billion every 90 days to improve its wireless network," said spokesman Howie Waterman. "A good chunk of that money goes to improve the system." Representatives from Nextel and AT&T Wireless did not return calls seeking comment Monday. Earlier this month, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, accused cell phone companies of doing little to improve service in dead spots, saying "instead of building up infrastructure, cell phone companies are spending all their time marketing their services to new customers." At the time, Verizon Wireless spokesman Jim Gerace said, "we know where the dead zones are and we are addressing them." Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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