Verizon hasn’t been a big name in the U.P. in the past, but they’re trying to change that with the latest northern Michigan upgrades to their networks. The eastern U.P. and the Mackinac area are the prime beneficiaries of Verizon improvements for now.
The communications company announced it’s done a $850,000 upgrade of 450 antennas north of Saginaw to the Mackinaw Bridge, and east of I-75 to Lake Huron. Coverage should improve in the area for up to a mile beyond existing coverage, so that coverage areas meet better and reliability is improved for customers.
Verizon Wireless reported a 10 percent increase in traffic on the new network (formerly Alltel) already, and the cell antenna improvements should increase that even further.
"Our customers in eastern northern Michigan are able to use their devices in more places, especially in buildings," says David MacBeth, executive director of networks for the Michigan-Indiana-Kentucky region of Verizon Wireless. "We’re constantly refining our network to ensure our customers have the best experience every time they pick up their wireless device."
U.P. Verizon retail locations are in Escanaba, Iron Mountain, Houghton and Marquette.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: David MacBeth, Verizon Wireless
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