Verizon service on the Garden Peninsula in the UP of Michigan

DaJimmer
Enthusiast - Level 2

For the past 28 years, all of which has been with Verizon, we have had NO service at our camp on the Garden Peninsula in the UP of Michigan.  NO internet, NO voice, text is now spotty, at best, but trying to send a photo is a non-starter, although it will kill your battery trying. Lord help us if we needed to call for emergency assistance in case of accident or other life threatening event.  I understand that a new Verizon cell tower has been constructed in Garden across the street from the MiniMart there. My question is simply this: Is that new tower now operational? Can we actually get the service we pay for?

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8 Replies
SynthpopAddict
Champion - Level 2

28 years straight of getting no service?  I would have ported out a long time ago.  Cellmapper.net may be able to tell you if Verizon is using that tower.  It's a crowd-sourced app, so not necessarily 100% accurate.

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.
DaJimmer
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yes, thank you. Years ago, prior to comms industry switching to all digital, we used a 'bag phone' which adequately handled voice communication, albeit did nothing for internet, text, etc. The crowd source application to which you make reference is, as you say, not 100% accurate. My experience goes further: it is simply not  a reliable indicator of consistent, reliable cell and internet service. More like someone at some point was able to make a connection, be it five minutes or five seconds before losing signal.

vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Oh, no! We're sorry to hear about the service issues you're having at your camp. We don't want you to keep having any problems, and we're going to make sure you get the coverage you need. How far do you need to travel from that area to get service? Can we have a ZIP Code so we can better pinpoint the area?

~Jesse

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The zip code where the newly constructed tower is located is 49835.

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DaJimmer
Enthusiast - Level 2

Yes, thank you. My property is roughly 6.25 miles NE, as the crow flies, from the new tower. Area is heavily forested and we have ridges and hollows which clearly impeded line of sight. Still, the new tower should provide an enhanced experience relative to having to stretch to receive signal from tower located near Cooks to the north.

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SynthpopAddict
Champion - Level 2

@DaJimmer wrote:

Yes, thank you. My property is roughly 6.25 miles NE, as the crow flies, from the new tower. Area is heavily forested and we have ridges and hollows which clearly impeded line of sight. Still, the new tower should provide an enhanced experience relative to having to stretch to receive signal from tower located near Cooks to the north.


6 miles or so from the nearest tower which Verizon may or may not be using is really a stretch for low-band 5G radio waves to reach.  Mid- and high-band 5G won't go that far.  LTE should be able to get through that distance, but with the forest and hills, I suspect you're in a dead zone which short of having a tower built within a mile of where you live, there's no helping it and you would have to try a different provider.

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I'm not a Verizon employee, just another customer trying to help.
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DaJimmer
Enthusiast - Level 2

It would be in your best customer service interests to simply ANSWER MY QUESTION?

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Let's make sure we are on the same page. Your zip code is 49835. From viewing our coverage ma, this area's coverage is variable, where 5G UW has not reached to provide consistent coverage. We would be happy to look into your coverage in more detail and provide the best options for you. Please reply to the following private message to get started.

-Deb

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