Tower to bring cell service to Hot Springs
HOT SPRINGS – Construction crews have recently been working to get a cell phone tower up and running outside of town, an effort which will bring mobile phone service to Hot Springs.
It should not be too long before residents and those visiting the town of Hot Springs are able to use cell phones and mobile devices in an area, which for a long time experienced no cellular or mobile service.
According to current plans those working on the cellular tower hope to have everything up and running by Sept. 1.
“They hope to be done with everything by the end of the month,” Hot Springs Mayor Randy Woods said.
Work on the sight has been made easier due to the fact fiber optic cables and other utilities are already present at the construction sight.
The project, which has been in the works for the last several years, has suffered numerous delays but it does appear the tower will be completed sooner rather than later.
However, the project recently suffered a setback though it should not be enough to delay operations for a very long period of time.
According to Woods, there was some confusion regarding the size of the building, which is to be placed on site and house the equipment necessary to have an operational cell phone tower.
The construction blueprints for the facility placed the back-up generator, to be used in case of a power outage or disruption of services, outside of the structure.
Woods said when the pre-built building showed up on a wide load truck, the building was fitted to have the generator placed within the structure, making the dug out footings, the structure was supposed to be placed on, unsuitable.
“The building was about one and a half feet wider and eight feet longer than the dug out footings,” Woods said.
Woods said the first plan of action for the construction team was to simply order another pre-built which would fit the current specifications.
Word came down such a building would take six months to complete and it was decided to simply scrap the existing dug out footings and pour the fittings for the pad and base of the cell tower over again to fit the building again.
Not everyone within the town of Hot Springs is looking forward to the tower’s completion and the expanded cell phone service it will bring to the area.
Some members of the community are accustomed to going without coverage when they are in the area and don’t mind being cut off from the digital world for a portion of their day.
At the town’s budget meeting, the local government took some time to make preparations for the expanded cell phone service Hot Springs will soon have access to.
A cell phone ordinance was passed making it illegal to use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle in town.
The ordinance stated those found in violation of the driving ban will be fined $100.
Efforts to bring cell phone towers to rural communities including Hot Springs has been an initiative of the federal government.
The Department of Homeland Security has made several grant programs available to rural areas in hopes of bringing a stable line of communications to these areas, providing them with a backup to current land line systems.