Published: May 07, 2009 02:24 am      

Wireless communication getting boost

Commission approves funds to help buy radio equipment for new tower for western part of county

FAIRMONT — Wireless communication capabilities will be coming to the western end of the county in the very near future.

The Marion County Commission approved more than $20,600 Wednesday to help buy radio equipment for a new communication tower in Whetstone.

The tower, which is located past Mannington and will service areas in that division of Marion County as well as parts of Wetzel and Harrison counties, has been built and officials are currently waiting for the building to be shipped, deputy 911 director Chris McIntire said.

He said once the building arrives, the tower can be connected and put online, which is expected to happen in the next couple of weeks.

A wireless company, Digital Soup, has already signed on to the new tower, and officials are in the process of trying to get a cell phone carrier on board as well so people in the area will have both types of access, McIntire said.

“We are hoping to get a cell phone partner to get on board and we have a wireless partner now that will provide wireless data,” he explained.

Currently, there is no cell phone or wireless data access in that part of the county and McIntire said this tower will not only help the residents who live in the region but also the coal miners who work there.

He said the radio and cell-phone access will help keep them safe. In total, the tower is set to cover a pretty extensive area, which Commission President Randy Elliott said is definitely needed in that part of the county.

“I think it will be the highest-elevated tower in the county,” he said.

The money supplied by the county is in addition to a $263,000 West Virginia Tower Systems grant that paid for the tower, the building and the site preparation, McIntire said.

Elliott said this money came up a little short for the entire project, so the county chipped in for the radio equipment. McIntire said officials are also currently working on obtaining a $250,000 grant from the state to get more radio equipment.

Initially, this tower was supposed to be located in Curtisville, but mine subsidence in the area forced it to be moved to Whetstone.

E-mail Mallory Panuska at mpanuska@timeswv.com.