Negotiations progressing for improved cellular service in Lakewood Ranch

After being given exclusive rights to improve cell service in Lakewood Ranch Phase 1 Community Development Districts in August, technology company USA Cran has yet to sign any cell service providers to make the project feasible.

Ken Goff, CEO of USAFiber and vice president of USA Cran, said he is negotiating with multiple cell service providers to sign contracts to use his new small cell technology, and he is "hopeful" those deals will come through soon. Goff asked for and received a three-month extension from the CDDs last week to strike the deal to continue to have exclusive rights to the project.

While that transpires, Lakewood Ranch residents continue to struggle with their cellphones.

Bridgewater resident Philip Cabibi has changed cellular providers once to try to better the cell service inside his home.

When that didn’t work, he bought a signal booster.

“(My phone) works fine in the house, but once I’m out of my door, my phone is dead,” said Cabibi, who runs a travel agency from his home. “I can’t receive calls. I can’t make calls. I can’t call (customers) back because I don’t have voicemail until I get back under my roof, when all the emails and messages come in. They’re advertising this as the No. 2 community in the United States, and I can’t believe it doesn’t have cell service. It’s really frustrating.”

A solution hasn’t come fast enough for Cabini, but now residents wonder whether service providers will be willing to pay to reach them.

USA Cran’s small cell technology would take the form of low-powered cellular structures that can be camouflaged as light poles, for example, and enhance cellular service in areas where there are coverage gaps.

Anne Ross, executive director of Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, said it might help USA Cran with its recruiting effort if Phase 1 residents filed complaints through the Federal Communications Commission about gaps in their coverage (visit https://bit.ly/2EdRw4O and click the “form” option at the bottom of the page).

Phase 1 Lakewood Ranch includes Greenbrook, Summerfield/Riverwalk, Edgewater and Country Club at Lakewood Ranch.

Goff said he anticipated the need for an extension in August because of the complexity of carriers’ needs. Goff declined to say which providers are in negotiations with him and said USA Cran needs at least two on board to make the project feasible.

“We are laser focused on the CDDs and the Lakewood Ranch area in between State Road 70 and University Parkway, but we have talked to carriers and are still talking to carriers about the greater Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (Lakewood Ranch) area because there is significant growth out there.”

Goff said USA Cran has identified about 40 locations for small cell technology throughout Lakewood Ranch, including areas north of S.R. 70.

Greenbrook resident Nancy Johnson, a Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 4 supervisor, said she is hopeful the deals will come to fruition.

Johnson said she gets service from Verizon inside her home just fine, but when she dines at Michelangelo’s near the corner of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and S.R. 70, she has to step outside to make calls.

“(Service) depends on where you go. It’s not consistent in Lakewood Ranch,” Johnson said. “In many homes it doesn’t work well. Visitors without Verizon who come to my home have to go outside on the patio to talk on the phone. There’s definitely an issue.”