I never had any problem either unless I am on the wrong side of Bull Run Mountain. I would think if PW were to upgrade, they would go to Phase 2 since coverage would improve. I understand it has in Loudoun. Anyhow the reporter mentioned the E word and I hope they are not considering going down that road.
They had a firefighter line-of-duty death a few years back. During the investigation, it showed many problems with how the entire radio communications system was setup. Coverage issues were one factor. This is why I have become a staunch advocate for simplex/analog on the fireground.