Trouble with your cell phone service? It could be about to get better.
The city has signed off on two agreements with private companies, allowing them to effectively create mini cell phone towers on public property such as lamp poles — a move they say will improve service.
Companies have been striking deals around the country to install distributed antenna systems and small cell towers as result of rising demand for data, which clogs the airwaves. The smaller systems draw users away from the large towers, reducing the chance of interference and dropped signals.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed the 10-year agreement with Crown Castle NG Atlantic LLC on Monday. A similar agreement with Extenet Systems Inc. moved forward in August.
Crown Castle is working with Verizon Wireless, while Extenet is working with Sprint, according to city documents.
The franchise agreements require the firms to pay a $100 annual fee. They are charged separately for each installation on a sliding scale that starts at $2,400 for the first 25 locations.
The city expects to bring in at least $650,000 more in revenue each year as a result of the two deals, said Adrienne Barnes, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, which helped craft the contracts.
