Published: November 08, 2007 12:44 am      

New tower would boost wireless communication

$250,000 grant application request for Curtisville structure approved by county

FAIRMONT — County commissioners approved a grant application request of $250,000 from the Marion County Central Communications Wednesday to build a wireless communications tower in Curtisville.

The Curtisville Tower Project will provide wireless communication services for the 911 center, the fire department, police and the Marion County Rescue Squad to the 10,000 residents in the area, and to the Console Robinson Run Mine Portal, Chris McIntire, deputy director of the Marion County 911 Center, said.

“The main goals are to provide cellular telephone coverage to that area of Marion, Harrison, Monongalia and Wetzel counties. Consolidation Coal Co. has just built a new mine portal that will have over 600 men entering near Curtisville with no phone communications. This new site would provide excellent cellular coverage to provide a safe means of communication for the miners,” according to the Wireless Tower Grant Narrative.

There are currently no other wireless communication services within 10 miles of the proposed tower. The tower will supply paging, cellular, wireless Internet and other services, in addition to being a West Virginia Interoperable Radio Project site, according to the narrative.

The county owns about 700 acres of land in the Curtisville area, in which the 360-foot tower will be built, commissioner Randy Elliott said.

County commission will own and operate the site, according to the narrative.

McIntire said he will know by the end of November if the grant has been approved.

Carolyn Ledsome, director of the 911 center, said 911 cell phone fees will go toward the cost of building the tower, which will cost $263,000.

The 911 center has paired up with the West Virginia State Police, Digital Soup, county commission, and Harrison and Monongalia counties for the project, McIntire said.

“Our hope is after we build the tower, other cell phone companies will want to make use of it,” Ledsome said.

According to the narrative, the county is working with other cellular companies to partner with the project. The county has also entered into a verbal agreement with US Cell and Cell One that they will include the tower site in their 2008 plans.

The center has partnered with Digital Soup to act as a communication services carrier. It will provide wireless Internet access as well as digital phone services, McIntire said.

County officials have been working to acquire funding to complete the project for five years. If the grant is approved, it will take about eight months to complete the tower, according to the grant application.

E-mail Veronica Nett at vnett@timeswv.com.