10. Cell phone coverage - Wireless Survey PresentationWireless Service Survey
TICC
July 2007
Wireless Survey
Background
Survey conducted for 3 weeks in July via Cupertino website.
Focus on residents’ experience with cell phone and wifi services
•Questions touched on quality, safety, esthetics, and usability
614 unique responses, results +/- 4% confidence interval.
Excellent geographic distribution across Cupertino
Geographic Distribution
Statistics Background
Est. population 50,456
For confidence level of 95%, 209
samples needed
Wireless survey, had 614
respondents and a confidence
interval of ~+/- 4%.
95% sure that the results are 4%
either side of the findings
Cellular Carrier Identity
Carrier
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
AT
T
_
C
i
n
g
u
l
a
r
T-
M
o
b
i
l
e
Sp
r
i
n
t
Ne
x
t
e
l
Ve
r
i
z
o
n
Me
t
r
o
-
P
C
S
Ot
h
e
r
No
n
e
Quality of Coverage at
Home
Coverage
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Excellent Good Fair Poor Non-existent
Is Lack of Coverage a
Security Concern?
Security Concerns
0
50
100
150
200
250
Often Occasional Seldom Never
Do you have Safety
Concerns from Cell
Towers?
Tower Safety Concerns
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
None Little Moderate Severe
Do you have Esthetic
Concerns from Cell
Towers?
Tower Esthetics
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
None Little Moderate Severe
Highlighted Areas of Poor
Coverage
•Kennedy/Monta
Vista/Bubb/McClellan area (65)
•Foothill Blvd (Stevens Creek to
280) (39)
•De Anza (Homestead to
Stevens Creek) (12)
A Sampling of Comments
The number of wireless base stations (both cell phone and internet) must
be reduced. They are dangerous.
I use a Verizon cell because I could not get reliable service from two
others; ATT and Cingular. Service has typically been bad in our area.
Many of my neighbors stand in the front yards in order to use their cells.
As long as towers are camouflaged, I have no problems with them. The
better cell coverage we will have, the better we will be.
It would be nice if ATT/Cingular could put a few more towers around to
improve reception in our area. Please HELP get us good coverage!
I would like to have a cell phone tower nearby so we can use cell phones
in our neighborhood. Thanks.
I am absolutely stunned that there exists a pocket with absolutely poor to
no cellphone coverage in Cupertino, supposedly the heart of Silicon
valley!
Please provide an upgrade somewhere in the Monta Vista, Lincoln,
Kennedy Jr. High area...to be without service is ridiculous
A Sampling of Comments
IT'S EMBARRASING LIVING IN THIS VALLEY, ESPECIALLY CUTTING
EDGE CUPERTINO, AND HAVING TO STAND IN MY FRONT YARD,
ALONG WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS TRYING TO GET SERVICE; IT'S
BECOME THE JOKE AMONG MY FRIEND AND FAMILY.
It sucks
Although we do not use wireless, many visitors have been unable to use
their cell phones. We tell them welcome to our neighborhood.
Cupertino needs to move into the 21st century and install reliable wireless
technology both Cell Phone and Internet. Given a choice, put priority on
Cell Phones as that will help most in times of personal or city crises.
Cingular cell phone service is nearly non-existent in the Deep Cliff home
area . Verizon service is sometimes slightly better, but very poor. One
halfway decent antenna site on either of couple of hills would correct the
main problem.
Please look at what the majority of Cupertino wants and not just a very
vocal few who are trying to revert our wonderful city to the early 1900's!
Thanks!
I am extremely frustrated with my cell phone coverage, I am frequently
roaming...
Cell towers should look like trees.
A Sampling of Comments
Cellphone coverage has been a problem in our area for a long time. This is
more than just a nuisance, it is affecting our productivity and security.
Many times, my cellphone doesn't even pickup my business calls as well
as personal calls and at other times, I don't even hear what the other
person is saying or the line disconnects in the middle of a conversation. I
was getting much better coverage when I was traveling in the middle
Mojave desert.
Our HOA has offered space for a tower on our property but no carriers
were interested. Maybe City of Cupertino?
Neighbors in our area have continuously complained about cell service.
Verizon works best but only in certain sections of our home, which
changes by the inch. I have upgraded to the best phone available, too. We
need help; things should be better.
The cellphone coverage is really bad and needs to be improved
immediately and significantly!
Please.. get Cingular to strengthen their coverage on my street. I would
really appreciate this.
Please put up more cell phone towers , I want reception and I am not
worried about towers.
A Sampling of Comments
The lack of cell phone coverage at and near Monta Vista High School,
Lincoln Elementary School, and Kennedy Middle School is a severe
security and safety concern. If an emergency situation were to occur at
one of these schools, then parents, staff, students, and emergency
personnel would be hampered by the poor cell phone receptivity in that
area.
Install more cell phone towers!!!! Don't be overly concerned about
esthetics. The towers that look like trees are very nice.
Increase the Verizon coverage in my home area. Can you hear me now?
No, I can't.
I just need Service!
There are residential hillside areas where the population density is much
lower and there is less of a concern with radio frequency radiation and
thus negligible public opposition, but you still can't get a cell tower
because the ordinance doesn't allow them on residentially zoned and
used properties. Aesthetic controls are probably too tight and used as an
excuse to deny a cell tower for other reasons.
It appears that the Council's attention to aesthetics rather than the silly
fear of radiation brought up so often but despite that they caved in on a
Sprint proposal for a tower near Jollyman in a church steeple. That
seemed like a wonderful solution but it was denied. Too bad.
A Sampling of Comments
Cell towers should not be an issue unless someone can prove a real
medical concern. For over 80 years, we have had antennas for TVs and
radio, now for HD reception as well as broadcasting. Think of all the ham
radio operators who have base antennas for base broadcasting. Cellular
towers operate at very high frequencies with fairly low wattage. That is
why they are called "cells" for proper connection hand-off.
Put a tower on every street corner. I am tired of people laughing when I
say I live in Cupertino and they say, "Oh yes, where the cell phones don't
work."
Key Conclusions Related to
Cellular Coverage
Carrier market share is dominated by ATT
and Verizon
Approximately 50% of Cupertino residents
have fair, poor, or non-existent cellular
coverage at their homes.
< 10% of respondents expressed serious
concerns about the health risk of cell towers
~10 % of residents expressed serious
safety/security concerns over lack of
reliable cellphone coverage at their homes
Essentially 100% of the comments on
cellular pleaded for better coverage (70/71)
Recommended Action
On 8/8/07, the TICC unanimously approved the
following recommendation to the City Council:
•1 – City staff will be directed to produce,
in 2 months, in cooperation with the TICC,
a plan to remedy the serious cellular
coverage issues shown in the city-wide
survey.
•2 - Said plan is to include actions that can
be implemented by staff alone and those
that require Council action.
We believe such actions will include
modifications to both the current cell tower
approval process and the city’s wireless master
plan, as well as proactive efforts to work with
relevant carriers on problem coverage areas