By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Five new antennas that will boost cell phone service for GCI customers are all operational, city Electric Utility Director Bryan Bertacchi said today.
GCI installed new antennas near Lake and Arrowhead streets in October to improve service in the downtown area. The five additional antennas will boost service along the road system and on area waters, Bertacchi said.
“It’s a great contract for us,” he said.
The Assembly approved spending $295,000 from the electric fund to purchase and erect the poles on city land. The city receives $100,000 per year for GCI to use the poles for their antennas.
“If it was your own money, would you do it? Yes,” Bertacchi said. “Plus, everyone gets a huge improvement in cell service. It’s really going to improve things on the water as well.”
An edited Google Map shows the location of new GCI cell antennas. (Image provided by GCI)
In choosing the cell antenna sites, GCI worked with Bertacchi in selecting locations that would be low profile, and yet still cover the road system.
Sites chosen were near the state ferry terminal; the Halibut Point cruise ship dock; the entrance of the old Harbor Mountain road; the end of Edgecumbe Drive where it meets Cascade Creek Road; and the top of Shotgun Alley, behind the LDS church.
“Sitkans who are already enjoying the upgraded LTE service downtown will see even more improvement with the completion of the five new sites,” Warren Russell, GCI vice president, Southeast Regional Operations, said in a news release. “With our LTE network and plenty of extra capacity, GCI customers in Sitka will have a seamless wireless experience even when cruise ships come to town.”
Bertacchi said he has heard some questions related to the new antennas, and wanted to address them.
“People are confused – they have AT&T and want to know why they’re not getting better service, when GCI customers are getting four bars,” Bertacchi said. “I reached out to both AT&T and to GCI. GCI took about a year to think about it.” AT&T was apparently not interested, he said.
He also knows some are wondering why city electric funds are being spent to support a private company, like GCI.
He said with the 20-year contract, and the city receiving $100,000 a year with virtually no maintenance costs, the city will more than make back the money for the electric fund.
“We spent the capital to put the poles in, the city owns the poles and they lease the poles,” Bertacchi said.
Some GCI customers wonder whether rates will go up for phone service. He said the question would have to be addressed to GCI but he said he expects GCI’s third-party service to customers coming in on cruise ships will enable the company to recover its investment.
Josh Edge, spokesman for GCI, said today, “GCI has no plans to increase phone or wireless service charges to folks in Sitka as a result of this project. It should stay the same.”
The city limited the height of the antennas to reduce the effect on the landscape.
“We’ll end up with really good service not only on land but on the water,” Bertacchi said. “It will actually keep our electric rates lower, with the $100,000 we’re receiving from GCI.”
