A much-needed signal boost could be in the works for Rye.
The City Council says it’s exploring options to improve cellphone service, including hiring a consultant to help find a solution that best meets the city’s needs.
The announcement comes after more than a decade of frequently dropped calls, unreliable internet coverage, and blackout areas throughout the city — particularly near Milton Point, from Forest Avenue to Boston Post Road, and in parts of Rye Neck — as well as a history of Rye leaders promising but failing to improve service.
Several council members added that the connectivity issues go beyond mere inconvenience, presenting a public safety risk that must be addressed.
“Rye’s coverage is so thin in certain spots that when you call 911 from those parts of town, the call would likely be answered by dispatchers on Long Island who can’t dispatch to our local response teams,” Councilmember Amy Kesavan told The Record.
The city has had informational meetings with Verizon and Crown Castle, Kesavan said. The City Council wanted independent verification and a parallel level of expertise, which led to the plan of hiring of an objective consultant.
“We don’t want to be sold a solution just because somebody’s selling something,” she said at a recent council meeting.
There is no cost estimate at this time, and it’s unclear how much the city will spend on a consultant when the project is finished.
“I think it’s important to frame the cost of a consultant against the alternative,” Kesavan said, “because we have spent significant legal fees in the past settling disputes, and the consultant, in part, is to avoid repeating some of that.”
Kristen Wilson, Rye’s city attorney, told The Record “there has been a myriad of lawsuits in the last 20 years,” over cell service. Among them were a series of suits filed by Crown Castle, alleging Rye blocked the development of its network.
In 2017, a federal district court dismissed Crown Castle’s suit. The next year, the Westchester County Supreme Court dismissed it. Finally, Crown Castle pursued an appeal in 2022, when the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division (Second Department) officially dismissed the proceedings.
Keith Cunningham, another city councilmember adamant about improving the situation, identified two primary ways Rye receives cell service. Verizon uses cell towers, like the one atop the Rye train station, while Crown Castle favors small-cell nodes (rectangular boxes on telephone poles that resemble transformers), some of which are already in use on city property in residential areas.
The existing cell tower at the train station is powered by a generator, and additional towers would follow suit.
“That’s the downside of the Crown Castle solution,” Cunningham said. “They get the power from Con Edison off the pole that they’re attached to, so in an emergency situation, where power went out, the cell service would fall back to what it is today.” That problem arose during the Hurricane Sandy power outages.
In the past, residents also have complained about electric humming produced by the small-cell nodes. The newer models, however, are much quieter, Cunningham said.
Towers would likely provide service to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers, he added.
The objection to tall cell towers has traditionally been aesthetic, with critics concerned about the towers hurting property values. After balancing the pros and cons of the two options, the council could potentially land on a combination of the different methods.
Mayor Josh Nathan said poor cell service was an issue that came up frequently when he was campaigning door-to-door during the mayoral race last year.
“I would like that this year we have findings and a plan that we’re able to discuss with the community,” Nathan said. “I want us to move expeditiously. At the same time, I want to make sure that we are getting correct information and considering [all] factors.”
Cunningham echoed that sentiment, saying the City Council wants to do this once, and do it right.
There isn’t a formal timeline. After gathering information, the city will assess a range of solutions, then discuss them with the community before taking action. But all council members at a recent meeting were unanimous in their support of better coverage in Rye.
“We cannot make it to Mars until we get better cell service fixed in Rye,” Kesavan said.
