Verizon customers upset over service

Trouble with cellular service in the Thompson Falls area has prompted questions and comments from readers. Several readers have reported not being able to make a call or not having service.

The Ledger has heard from Verizon Wireless customers unhappy with their service and reached out to the company. First, The Ledger contacted Verizon customer service from our Verizon phones. On a call last week, we were told by a representative that there were no open service calls in the area.

The Ledger then reached out to media representatives for the company. Specific questions asked included if the company was experiencing issues in the area, what was being done to resolve any issues and how many towers the company had in the area and what was the capacity for service. The issues with cellular service have been noticeable since the pandemic and the recent population increases in rural areas of Montana. The Ledger asked the company how they plan for growth in rural areas and specifically if there were any plans for upgrades or expansion in this area.

This was the response from a Verizon representative: “Verizon constantly invests in our network to deliver our customers the quality experience and reliability they expect and deserve, and in fact this week rolled out enhancements to the network to improve coverage in the area. While we are unable to speak to future plans outside of any infrastructure projects we’ve already announced, we are working on additional ways to improve network performance in this area.”

Residential customers aren’t the only one having issues with the company’s service. Bill Naegeli is the Emergency Manager for Sanders County. He said the county uses an app called HyperReach to send out alerts in emergency situations. Residents can download the app to their cellphones and set locations for which they will receive alerts. However, Naegeli said the reliability of the alerts reaching residents is dependent on having reliable cellphone service.

Shawna Chenoweth with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office said they have seen an increase in issues with Verizon customers calling 911 and having issues. “We’ve had a lot of issues with people who have Verizon cellphones and their calls aren’t getting through,” Chenoweth said. The sheriff’s office checked with their 911 provider, who confirmed the issues were not with the service but with the cellphone service of the callers. “Many people will have to call back or we have to call them back when their call is dropped. In an emergency, every second counts.” Chenoweth said that while there have been no major incidents as the result of dropped calls, she’s afraid that is what it will take for the company to take notice and fix the problem.