Saratoga County has entered into an agreement with Verizon Wireless to bring wireless communication services to four communities in the Adirondack Park near the Great Sacandaga Lake.
The expansion of Verizon Wireless services will provide access to wireless phone and high-speed data services to Verizon customers including residents, visitors and first responders.
“I am proud to announce the agreement between Verizon Wireless and the County of Saratoga to bring Verizon cellular and Internet access to the communities of Edinburg, Day, Hadley and Providence,” said Preston Allen, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman.
In the past year, Verizon worked with the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services to develop new wireless facilities in northern Saratoga County targeting rural communities, roads and recreational areas along portions of Great Sacandaga Lake and Sacandaga River.
County Emergency Services Commissioner Carl Zeilman said Verizon Wireless has co-located communications equipment and an antenna on existing county-owned communication monopoles and towers in the towns of Providence, Edinburg, and Day. Construction to co-locate equipment on the county-owned monopole site in the Town of Luzerne in Warren County is set to begin shortly.
The 4G LTE Verizon wireless voice and data services, which are either new and significantly improved, will be expanded into these areas including several miles along County Route 4 (North Shore Road) and County Route 7 (South Shore Road), and into the Hamlets of Edinburg, Batchellerville, West Day, Day Center, Lake View and Hadley.
“The public and our emergency services rely on cellular service for day-to-day communications and Internet access,” said Carl Zeilman, Saratoga County Emergency Services Commissioner “The expansion of cellular service into these previously unserved areas of the County will save lives by enhancing the ability of the public to access 9-1-1, improving the ability of our Communications Center to pinpoint the location of emergencies and delivering seamless communications capabilities to our law enforcement, fire and EMS responders.”
“Bringing cellular services to the northern part of the county is a tremendous benefit to public safety and first responders,” said Sheriff Michael Zurlo. “The expanded cellular coverage area will maximize response by first responders and provide residents and visitors the ability to dial 9-1-1 from a wireless device in areas where it was once non-existent. I want to commend the Office of Emergency Services for their ongoing efforts and making this day a reality.
The site in the Town of Providence, where Verizon Wireless co-located on the county’s 225-foot self-supporting tower, was the first to go live on June 1, 2020. “We already have seen an improvement in cellular connectivity in the immediate area,” said Sandra Winney, Town of Providence Supervisor.
“I want to thank the County Office of Emergency Services, the Adirondack Park Agency, and Verizon Wireless for working so diligently over the past year to bring much needed cellular service to our community,” said Jean Raymond, Town of Edinburg Supervisor “This will dramatically improve wireless coverage in the area for residents, first responders and visitors.”
“Bringing much needed wireless service to the community is long overdue,” said Arthur “Mo” Wright, Town of Hadley Supervisor. “Collectively, we have been working on this issue for the past several years and I am pleased to say it is finally coming to fruition.”
Per the agreement, Verizon Wireless will lease space on each communications tower at the rate of $26,400 per year, generating $105,600 in annual revenue for Saratoga County. The initial lease term at each site is five years, and automatically renews for up to eight additional five-year terms.
Saratoga County constructed its communication monopoles in Edinburg, Day and Luzerne in the early 2000s with the primary purpose of serving its emergency radio communication needs.
Zeilman added, “Since assuming the role as the commissioner of Emergency Services, one of our primary focuses has been working to leverage our existing communications infrastructure to bring much needed cellular service to the Sacandaga Lake area. I am proud to say, we turned this vision into a reality.”
