Cellphone Carriers Hope To Puncture Litchfield County ‘Dead Zones’

LITCHFIELD (AP) — Cellphone carriers are working hard to spread phone service throughout Litchfield County’s pervasive dead zones.

Several carriers say they are combing for cellphone tower sites in the upscale county where opposition to towers clashes with demands for more extensive cellphone service.

A significant barrier to cellphone service in Litchfield County is its land, with the Berkshire foothills acting as a barrier to radio signals.

With most urban and suburban markets saturated, the remaining opportunities are in the more difficult reception areas. The wireless industry also is marketing cellphones as an alternative to land lines, and fire departments, ambulances, and other public safety services are pushing for better mobile phone coverage for emergencies.