Cell Phone Service On Nantucket (Still) Stinks. Lawmakers Are Now Pushing Carriers For Service Upgrades

Have you had trouble making phone calls on Nantucket? You’re not the only one. A coalition of Massachusetts legislators representing the Cape and Islands recently sent a letter to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, urging the nation’s major cellular carriers to improve coverage in the region, citing public safety fears and potential economic impacts.

“Service failures are more than an inconvenience; they risk public safety, strain local economies, and hinder access to essential services for residents, businesses, and visitors alike,” the letter reads in part. “Constituents consistently report dropped calls and unreliable signals, especially during periods of peak seasonal population. In some areas, residents and visitors cannot place emergency calls or conduct basic communication tasks without leaving their homes or traveling to areas with stronger reception.”

Signatories to the letter include both of Nantucket’s representatives to Beacon Hill, Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley. The primary concern they emphasized was public safety: without reliable cell service, islanders struggle to contact emergency services.

“Public safety officials have also reported that unreliable cellular connectivity during emergencies has hindered response efforts,” the letter continues. “Data bears out these anecdotal reports. The Barnstable County Broadband Needs Assessment confirms that these issues are widespread. The report identifies significant seasonal degradation of fixed and mobile networks, limited provider competition, and high customer dissatisfaction with service quality and responsiveness. More than 40 percent of residents surveyed report experiencing slowdowns or dropped connections at least once a week, and more than 20 percent report such issues daily.”

Poor cell service during the summer is an issue that has plagued Nantucket in recent years. Concerns have been raised at recent Select Board meetings, and even before the letter, the Town had been in contact with major carriers.

“We understand that cell service on Nantucket can be unreliable, and the Town has raised concerns with major carriers,” the town wrote in response to a public comment made at a recent Select Board meeting. “Ultimately, decisions to invest in more infrastructure are made by carriers based on demand, and Nantucket’s low year-round population offers little financial incentive to expand.”

Pressure from the state legislature might provide some incentive, though perhaps not enough to overcome economic factors. In the letter, legislators pushed major carriers to make changes and engage with local and regional government officials.

“We urge your companies to treat this issue with the urgency it warrants and to take immediate, transparent action to improve service quality across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket,” the letter concludes. “We appreciate your attention to this matter and are ready to collaborate toward a more reliable and resilient telecommunications network for our region.”

The problem during the summer months is a combination of an increased population and the lack of communications infrastructure on the island. Nantucket has only one true, large-scale cell phone tower, which the major carriers use, located at Eel Point. There are some smaller antenna towers, as well as the water towers, but most of the island relies upon a distributed antenna system, or DAS, which is made up of small antennas installed at the top of telephone poles.

“The volume they can handle is not the same volume as a big antenna site that you see off island,” Nantucket Deputy Police Chief Charles Gibson told the Current in 2021. Gibson handles the department’s communications system and has worked with the major cellular service carriers on the island. “Cellular providers on Nantucket, they will not invest in Nantucket for two months out of the year like they would do with Boston or New York City. It’s not going to happen. They try to find that happy medium, and they hold their breath. Nantucket doesn’t have the infrastructure to support 50,000 people in one place at one time.”