Newport looks to eliminate dead zones

June Casagrande

Have you ever had a cell phone conversation while driving on

Macarthur Boulevard toward John Wayne Airport? How about on Irvine

Avenue near the nature center?

If you thought you were the only one whose cell phone went dead in

some spots of the city, think again. Newport Beach is home to a

number of such “dead spots,” where carriers’ signals almost never

reach.

But, thanks in part to a new city policy, cellular dead zones

could become a thing of the past.

The city’s Telecommunications Committee has proposed aggressively

pursuing relationships with cellular companies to get them to install

antennas in some unserved areas.

“Now that the city’s going to become a landlord to cellular phone

companies, the advantage is that we can hopefully fill in these dead

zones,” said Councilman John Heffernan, who serves on the committee.

In response to some tempting offers from cellular phone companies,

the City Council in October passed an ordinance that allows the city

to lease space for cellular antennas. No deals have been struck yet,

but they are estimated to bring in $20,000 to $30,000 per year per

cellular site.

The original plan was for Newport Beach to sit back and let the

proposals come rolling in, but the committee has suggested getting

more aggressive, pursuing companies to install antennas in the city’s

problem areas, which also include places around Big Canyon Reservoir.

“This is the obvious next step,” Heffernan said. “We’re going to

turn the tables around and, as a landlord, try to find tenants for

these dark spots rather than have them come to us.

“This is just something the city can do as a public service to its

residents -- because the public is dependent on these -- and make

money at the same time,” he said.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.