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Cell-phone firms dispute report on interference
By Jennifer Lin
Inquirer Staff Writer
The City of Philadelphia is at odds with two cell-phone giants - Nextel Communications and Cingular Wireless - over whether their signals are blocking police and fire radios.
Both carriers are challenging a city report that pinpoints 56 sites where cell-phone signals are suspected of interfering with public-safety radios, according to Joseph James, the city's deputy commissioner for public property.
In an interview yesterday, James said Nextel disagrees with conclusions in a report by RCC Consultants Inc., while Cingular has been unwilling to correct problems.
Of Cingular, James said, "They want to ignore this and hope the problem goes away."
A Cingular spokeswoman disputed that. "We're committed to working with them to resolve any issues," said Alexa Kaufman.
She said Cingular technicians have visited two sites with city consultants and plan another inspection trip next month.
Leigh Horner, a spokeswoman for Nextel, said Nextel has been "working cooperatively" with the city. She said that Nextel technicians have gone out with city experts to retest sites, but that "in a couple of instances we have not been able to replicate poor radio performance."
She added, "That basically means we will continue to test until we can figure out what's going on there."
The RCC report, which analyzes the radio "noise" level at 56 addresses in the city, was shared with both carriers this month. They are the only cell-phone carriers causing problems for the city's system.
Signals from cell-phone antennas can block out calls from police and fire radios - a national problem that surfaced in Philadelphia two years ago when the city switched to a new emergency radio system.
Digital radios used by the city's firefighters and police officers operate on the same 800 megahertz (MHz) band of radio frequency as the cell-phone customers of Nextel and Cingular. During periods of high use, cell-phone signals can overpower public-safety radios, causing emergency messages to be blocked.
James, the city official in charge of the city's new $54 million digital radio system, sees the response of cell-phone carriers as foot-dragging. "We're going to take as much time and effort as it takes for them to see the same things as we are," James said.
In Philadelphia, cell-phone interference is worst around Philadelphia International Airport, along Interstate 95, and in parts of South Philadelphia and Grays Ferry, according to RCC Consultants of Woodbridge, N.J.
At several recent fires in Grays Ferry, commanders on the scene have not been able to communicate with firefighters inside burning buildings because of radio failure, union officials for firefighters have complained.
"It's an imminently dangerous condition," said Steven David Masters, a staff attorney for City Council, who is working with neighbors in Southwest Center City challenging the legality of a Nextel tower at 2446 Christian St. - one of the 56 sites identified by the city.
Faced with rising complaints from police and rescue workers, the city hired RCC Consultants this year to investigate. A preliminary report was released last October, with the city's Fire and Police Departments warning employees about potential problems at 44 locations.
The final report released this month raised the number of problem sites to 56. Each site represents a cluster of antennas, mounted on everything from apartment buildings to hotels, poles, water towers, hospitals, arenas, even a rowhouse.
Of those locations, 33 were Nextel sites; 15 were Cingular; and eight were locations with antennas for both carriers.
Cell-phone service is interrupting public-safety radios in communities across the country, and most often the problem is with Nextel.
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed moving Nextel signals away from public-safety frequencies. Nextel, in return for paying to "reband" public-safety channels, would get additional space in a higher frequency of the radio spectrum.
Around Philadelphia, neighboring communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have reported similar problems with cell-phone interference.
Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County's emergency management director, said: "It is a huge problem for us."
Sullivan said the county, which operates an 800 MHz emergency radio system, has worked with Nextel to remedy problems as they arise.
But he said that too often, a problem is fixed in one location only to resurface in another.
Cell-phone carriers can mitigate interference by changing the angle of antennas, adding filters, or reducing the power of signals.
In New Jersey, state police have worked with Nextel to resolve problems, said Lt. Russ Fleming, head of radio maintenance.
But ultimately, he said, public safety trumps commerce, and the state police can ask the FCC to intervene with Nextel.
"We've shut down a couple of their tower sites," Fleming said.
By Jennifer Lin
Inquirer Staff Writer
The City of Philadelphia is at odds with two cell-phone giants - Nextel Communications and Cingular Wireless - over whether their signals are blocking police and fire radios.
Both carriers are challenging a city report that pinpoints 56 sites where cell-phone signals are suspected of interfering with public-safety radios, according to Joseph James, the city's deputy commissioner for public property.
In an interview yesterday, James said Nextel disagrees with conclusions in a report by RCC Consultants Inc., while Cingular has been unwilling to correct problems.
Of Cingular, James said, "They want to ignore this and hope the problem goes away."
A Cingular spokeswoman disputed that. "We're committed to working with them to resolve any issues," said Alexa Kaufman.
She said Cingular technicians have visited two sites with city consultants and plan another inspection trip next month.
Leigh Horner, a spokeswoman for Nextel, said Nextel has been "working cooperatively" with the city. She said that Nextel technicians have gone out with city experts to retest sites, but that "in a couple of instances we have not been able to replicate poor radio performance."
She added, "That basically means we will continue to test until we can figure out what's going on there."
The RCC report, which analyzes the radio "noise" level at 56 addresses in the city, was shared with both carriers this month. They are the only cell-phone carriers causing problems for the city's system.
Signals from cell-phone antennas can block out calls from police and fire radios - a national problem that surfaced in Philadelphia two years ago when the city switched to a new emergency radio system.
Digital radios used by the city's firefighters and police officers operate on the same 800 megahertz (MHz) band of radio frequency as the cell-phone customers of Nextel and Cingular. During periods of high use, cell-phone signals can overpower public-safety radios, causing emergency messages to be blocked.
James, the city official in charge of the city's new $54 million digital radio system, sees the response of cell-phone carriers as foot-dragging. "We're going to take as much time and effort as it takes for them to see the same things as we are," James said.
In Philadelphia, cell-phone interference is worst around Philadelphia International Airport, along Interstate 95, and in parts of South Philadelphia and Grays Ferry, according to RCC Consultants of Woodbridge, N.J.
At several recent fires in Grays Ferry, commanders on the scene have not been able to communicate with firefighters inside burning buildings because of radio failure, union officials for firefighters have complained.
"It's an imminently dangerous condition," said Steven David Masters, a staff attorney for City Council, who is working with neighbors in Southwest Center City challenging the legality of a Nextel tower at 2446 Christian St. - one of the 56 sites identified by the city.
Faced with rising complaints from police and rescue workers, the city hired RCC Consultants this year to investigate. A preliminary report was released last October, with the city's Fire and Police Departments warning employees about potential problems at 44 locations.
The final report released this month raised the number of problem sites to 56. Each site represents a cluster of antennas, mounted on everything from apartment buildings to hotels, poles, water towers, hospitals, arenas, even a rowhouse.
Of those locations, 33 were Nextel sites; 15 were Cingular; and eight were locations with antennas for both carriers.
Cell-phone service is interrupting public-safety radios in communities across the country, and most often the problem is with Nextel.
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed moving Nextel signals away from public-safety frequencies. Nextel, in return for paying to "reband" public-safety channels, would get additional space in a higher frequency of the radio spectrum.
Around Philadelphia, neighboring communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have reported similar problems with cell-phone interference.
Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County's emergency management director, said: "It is a huge problem for us."
Sullivan said the county, which operates an 800 MHz emergency radio system, has worked with Nextel to remedy problems as they arise.
But he said that too often, a problem is fixed in one location only to resurface in another.
Cell-phone carriers can mitigate interference by changing the angle of antennas, adding filters, or reducing the power of signals.
In New Jersey, state police have worked with Nextel to resolve problems, said Lt. Russ Fleming, head of radio maintenance.
But ultimately, he said, public safety trumps commerce, and the state police can ask the FCC to intervene with Nextel.
"We've shut down a couple of their tower sites," Fleming said.
