Jackson Looking To Expand Cell Phone Service Coverage

Jackson County is looking to expand the county’s cell phone coverage.

The county commission approved a resolution Monday night for Mayor Randy Heady to enter an agreement with wireless infrastructure Vogue Towers. Heady said the company would find county lands suitable for cellphone towers, build them, and lease them with the county to cell service providers, such as Verizon.

“I thought it was a good opportunity for us to maybe get cellphone towers. We also get some revenue from that if you’ll notice in the back of it (the lease agreement) there is a revenue that is attached to that. So that revenue would come back to the county instead of going somewhere else. So it’s a win-win. ”

Heady said there are potential locations for a tower at the solid waste convenience site or at the community center, among others.

Heady said he hopes to get coverage in the northern Dodson Branch area. He said the coverage would reach the Roaring River area along State Route 135, which could get much-needed cell service to kayakers and other outdoorsmen.

Heady said that this project would coincide with an already-underway project with Verizon installing a new tower in downtown Gainesboro. He said that it’s important to him to make sure the people in Jackson have the coverage they need.

“This is all about helping my people,” Heady said. “It’s not about trying to do away with landlines, hurt Twin Lakes, nothing like that. This is about trying to help the people. The community wants cell phone service, and I’m trying to get them that.”

In other business, commissioners approved Mayor Randy Heady as chair and District One Commissioner Joey Denson as Chair Protem.