SCHUMER: CELL PHONE WIRELESS CARRIERS ARE WRONGLY CLAIMING QUALITY RECEPTION ON COVERAGE MAPS FOR NORTHERN WESTCHESTER AND PUTNAM COUNTIES; IN REALITY, AREAS ARE OFTEN DEAD ZONES; SCHUMER CALLS FOR FEDS TO IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATE DECEPTIVE COVERAGE MAPS

Network Service Throughout The Hudson Valley Ranks Last Place Among The Most Populated Metro Areas In The United Sates

Major Wireless Carriers Are Displaying Parts Of Westchester & Putnam Counties As Having Good Quality Coverage, When Many of Those Areas Are Actually Dead Zones

Schumer To Feds: Westchester & Putnam Cell Phone Consumers Should Know The Truth About Coverage Areas  

Standing at the Trailhead Entrance to Camp Smith Trail in Westchester County, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed that wireless carriers are labeling regions on coverage maps as having good coverage when, in reality, they are dead zones. Schumer said that those who live in Northern Westchester County and Putnam County know all too well about coverage problems. Specially, Schumer is asking the FCC to investigate whether network providers are fairly and accurately advertising wireless coverage so that consumers can make informed choices.

“There are more cell phone dead zones in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties than post-winter potholes on the West Side Highway – and misrepresenting coverage maps to give the impression a wireless carrier provides coverage in an area where it does not is false advertising, pure and simple,” said Schumer. “Wireless carriers must be held accountable to produce accurate coverage maps.”

At best, inaccurate maps are inconvenient and expensive for customers; at its worst, this lack of service could pose a serious threat to safety. As a result, Schumer called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to immediately crackdown on the lack of transparency and accuracy in wireless carriers’ coverage maps, which currently lead consumers to ‎incorrectly believe there is good cell service in their area. 

Schumer explained that wireless carriers often use coverage maps to show that their company offers superior coverage compared to competitors. However, because Americans are increasingly relying on wireless technology to communicate, customers rely on these coverage maps advertised by the carriers to make their purchasing decisions. Schumer said that is exactly why it is critical these maps be accurate. In recent years, many New York consumers have reported increasing problems with poor network performance, particularly in more rural areas, like Northern Westchester and Putnam, where there are fewer cellular towers and less wireless infrastructure. One of the areas that has received the worst coverage, despite wireless companies’ advertisements, is the Hudson Valley, including Northern Westchester County and Putnam County.

According to a recent study released by RootMetrics, the Hudson Valley, including Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties, ranked at the very bottom of 125 populous U.S. metro areas surveyed for mobile network performance. Despite major network carriers advertising full coverage in their maps in most areas of the Hudson Valley, the study found that the actual service in the area failed in six major categories, including overall performance, network speed, network reliability, data performance, call performance and text performance. Schumer said this is unfair to consumers who do their research before making a decision regarding cell phone carriers and are left surprised following the purchase when they realize many areas in Northern Westchester County and Putnam County, and throughout the Greater Hudson Valley area, are complete dead zones.

Schumer said that without accurate coverage maps, consumers in the Hudson Valley and across the nation are forced to go through the onerous, expensive and sometimes dangerous experience of dead zones, dropped calls and poor clarity. With the proliferation of smart phones in particular, consumers are using wireless carriers far more than landlines to keep in touch with loved ones, peers, and business contacts. In addition to communicating, wireless services support global positioning system (GPS) products that are essential to residents and tourists alike. Schumer said the lack of wireless coverage could make tourists reluctant to travel to an area knowing they will not have the ability to use their GPS technology to explore the area or make calls in an emergency situation. Schumer said area shop owners and local businesses have also reported experiencing dropped calls when using wireless devices to conduct business with customers, and this could impact their ability to succeed.

As a result, Schumer said this lack of coverage is not only inconvenient, it is becoming an economic deterrent. Finally, the lack of wireless coverage throughout the Hudson Valley, including Northern Westchester County and Putnam County, can be a threat to public safety. Schumer said there have been many dangerous crashes on stretches of road in Northern Westchester and Putnam, particularly near the entrance of Camp Smith, which connects to the Bear Mountain Bridge Road “Goat Trail.” Schumer explained this road is locally notorious for its curves and rocky embankment. According to the Journal News, just last night there was a crash in the Goat Trail that threw a motorcyclist 100 feet from his bike when he crashed into another vehicle, after initially veering off the road at one of the precarious curves. Schumer said that while, luckily, the man was airlifted to safety after a witness was able to call for help, this area is known for its spotty services and these kinds of crashes are particularly dangerous when it is difficult for those at the scene of an accident to call for help.

For these reasons, Schumer said quality wireless service must be an essential part of modern U.S. infrastructure, just like water, housing and clean air, and consumers deserve access to information that allows them to make informed decisions about their wireless carriers. As a result, he is urging the FCC to investigate and closely examine the wireless coverage of the Hudson Valley. Schumer said this is needed to ensure network carriers are advertising accurate coverage maps, for convenience, economic development and public safety purposes. Now, more than ever before, Schumer said, it is critical that the FCC help protect consumers by ensuring that network carriers are providing accurate representations of the wireless service that consumers will receive.

Schumer was joined by Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and local officials.

A copy of Schumer’s letter to the FCC appears below:

Dear Chairman Wheeler:

Thank you for your dedication to ensuring that all Americans have access to quality telecommunication services. I am writing to you today because I am concerned about the disparity between the wireless coverage that carriers show on coverage maps and the actual access my constituents experience in New York.  I ask that you investigate whether network providers are fairly and accurately advertising wireless coverage so that consumers can make informed choices.  New York consumers have reported increasing problems of poor network performance, in particular lack of service in areas that are advertised as covered.

Americans increasingly rely on wireless technology to communicate and keep in touch with loved ones, peers, and business contacts. With the proliferation of smart phones, these devices have become necessary parts of people's everyday lives.  In addition, wireless services support global positioning system (GPS) products which can be essential to residents and tourists alike. Customers rely on the coverage maps advertised by the carriers to make their purchasing decisions. That is why it is critical that the maps provided in stores and on the carriers’ websites are accurate.

In fact, a recent study released by RootMetrics ranked Hudson Valley, New York in last place of 125 populous U.S. metro areas surveyed for mobile network performance. Despite major network carriers advertising full coverage on their coverage maps in most areas of the Hudson Valley, the study found that the actual service in the area failed in six categories: overall performance, network speed, network reliability, data performance, call performance and text performance. Without accurate coverage maps, consumers in the Hudson Valley and across the nation are forced to go through the onerous and sometimes dangerous experience of dead zones, dropped calls and poor clarity. Now, more than ever before, it is critical ‎that the FCC help protect consumers by ensuring that network carriers are providing accurate representations of the wireless service that consumers will receive.

Quality wireless service is ‎now an essential part of modern U.S. infrastructure, just like water, housing and clean air, and consumers deserve access to information that allows them to make informed decisions about their wireless carriers. I support the FCC's transparency requirements, and strongly urge the Commission to examine the wireless coverage of Hudson Valley, New York to ensure that network carriers are advertising accurate coverage maps.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator

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