New towers boosting mobile service in Oconto County, Cellcom says
GREEN BAY – Cellcom’s parent company says it has improved mobile service in Oconto County by four activating four new cell sites, with more to come.
The four new sites – west of Oconto on State 22, in the towns of Breed and Riverview, and southwest of Townsend – expand coverage areas and adds capacity for a better experience with data applications and increased connections during busier tourism times.
The additional capacity allows for a better experience when using data, which can mean faster speeds or more available connections especially during high-traffic times.
“These new cell sites help fill coverage gaps and strengthen LTE service, which is the technology that powers internet service on your smartphone and more recently became the service that you use to make calls and send texts,” said Rick Brooks, chief technical officer and vice president of engineering for Cellcom. “As demand for data services continues to increase, new cell sites also help move users off high-traffic sites, which helps improve everyone’s experience.”
Cellcom also says it plans to activate new sites in Little Suamico, Oconto Falls, southwest of Bagley and northeast of Lakewood, as well as two small cells in Suring and Oconto Falls.
Small cells are low-powered cell sites that cover smaller areas and help improve customer experience in busy areas. They are typically located on light poles, while the other sites would be on towers.
Existing cell sites in Kelly Lake, Lena, Oconto Falls and Suring will have additional capacity added to allow for more connections and a better data experience, the company also announced.
“As the only wireless provider local to Wisconsin, we know that rural areas are some of the most popular destinations for our customers. Investing in these rural communities is a priority for Cellcom,” Brooks said. “Cell sites can take months of planning and implementation and supply chain delays have stretched timelines a bit, but we continue to push to complete these projects and are already planning ahead for future years.”
Cellcom’s sister company, Nsight Telservices, has three residential projects underway in Little Suamico to bringing fiber optic connections to more than 200 residents in Rustic Acres, Havenwood Hills and Wedgewood Estates neighborhoods.
“For many years, we have taken a fiber-first approach, installing fiber in new neighborhoods or when we need to relocate or replace portions of the network,” Brooks said. “Going forward, we’ll continue to seek opportunities to install fiber in our existing internet territories.”
In Oconto County, Nsight Telservices provides internet, TV and phone service in an area roughly south of Oconto/Stiles/Oconto Falls and east of State 32. It also provides internet and phone service in Oconto and Oconto Falls.
Green Bay based Nsight, the parent company of Nsight Telservices and Cellcom, serves Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
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Contact Kent Tempus at (920) 431-8226 or ktempus@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: New towers boosting mobile service in Oconto County, Cellcom says
