Verizon Wireless to Begn Installation of Cell Phone Antenna in Williamstown

Media contact: Noelle Lemoine, communications assistant; tele: (413) 597-4277; email: [email protected]

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Sept. 19, 2001 — Installation of the Verizon Wireless cell-phone antenna on the Williams College heating plant stack will begin this week.

Verizon received approval to erect the antenna panels, following the June 2001 public hearing of the Town of Williamstown Zoning Board of Appeals.

The heating plant stack was seen as a more suitable siting for wireless communication than erecting a new tower for this purpose.

Completion of the project will appreciate cell phone coverage and clarity in Williamstown, and cover a radius extending perhaps 10 or more miles.

“Increasing numbers of Williamstown residents want to use cell phones as a tool for family connections and business, and it’s clear that wireless phones are a benefit in emergencies,” said Helen Ouellette, Williams College vice president for administration and treasurer.

The six-panel antenna array will be placed on the stack and a new electronics equipment room will be located adjacent to the old college heating plant.

Verizon service should be ready by December 2001.

There is also a possibility that other cellular service providers will also be utilizing the stack for their antennas and establishing service sometime in 2002.

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Published September 19, 2001