Delta College’s cell-phone dead zone may soon be a thing of the past — if you’re an AT&T cell phone owner.
In the coming months Delta will be leasing land to New Cingular Wireless PCS, a subsidiary company of AT&T.
According to Director of Facilities Management Michael Garr the location of the cell phone tower will be along the property line of the main campus, near the north warehouse.
“The Negotiating is in planning stages,” said Garr.
“There is currently no firm date on when the cell phone tower will be built,” said Garr.
The contract is for 25 years, but due to Delta College being a public institution the contract would have to be reviewed every five years, he added.
Student Juan Velaquez wondered if Delta really needed the cell phone tower, particularly when it is a non-educational item.
“We’re at Delta to learn. Go off campus to call,” he said.
Student Raquel Rodriguez said it is “essentially a cool idea, it’s just not necessary.”
One of the main reasons for installing a tower is security.
With the addition of a cell phone tower on campus, accessing Delta College Police easier. Staff and students will not have to worry as much about dropped calls in an emergency.
The college is asking for an option to have three additional antennas installed on top of the cell phone tower for other carriers, said Garr.
The cost of the tower will be “in excess of $100,000” to build, said Garr. Delta will not be financially responsible for the construction of the tower.
The wireless company will be.
Delta will earn more than $21,000 a year through leasing the land.
Staff and students can feel rest at ease with the knowledge of a cell phone tower being built, as there are no known health risks with a cell phone tower being placed on campus, Garr stated.
The American Cancer Society website backs up what Garr said, in respects to cell phone tower technology.
Specifically it states that people whom are on the ground far from the top of the tower where the frequency is at its strongest, will not be affected.
