U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer revealed that in response to his crowdsourcing campaign to locate dead zones—particularly on Long Island—more than 200 maddening dead zones have been identified. Schumer said there are many areas throughout Long Island that experience poor quality when it comes to cell phone network speed, network reliability, data, call and text performance.
“When it comes to cell service on Long Island, these dead zones are proof carriers need to—quite frankly—raise the bar,” Schumer said. “A heavily populated region like Long Island shouldn’t be home to over 200 dead zones. Just a stone’s throw away from New York City and home to several universities, thousands of businesses and more, Long Island’s cell phone coverage must remain uninterrupted. Now that Long Islanders have submitted critical dead zone locations to my office, our wireless carriers must make sure they are fixed. I will share these locations to carriers and am urging them to come up with a solution that meets the needs of both Nassau and Suffolk residents.”
Quality wireless service is an essential part of modern U.S. infrastructure, just like roads and mass transit, Schumer said. Consumers deserve access to information that allows them to make informed decisions about their wireless carriers.
Poor wireless service, and often times, inaccurate coverage maps that hide dead zones, hurt consumers and businesses in several ways, Schumer said. For instance, a lack of wireless coverage across Long Island could be a threat to public safety. Wireless services also support global positioning system (GPS) products that are essential to residents and tourists alike. The lack of wireless coverage could make tourists reluctant to travel to an area knowing they will not have the ability to use their GPS technology to explore the area or make calls in an emergency situation.
Schumer said his full list of dead zone locations on Long Island will help wireless carriers identify which areas need to be brought up to speed.
Below is part of the list of the dead zone street locations submitted to Senator Schumer’s office this year: Spruce Street, Massapequa, Bay Drive, Massapequa, Forest Lake Blvd, Wantagh, Cornflower Road, Levittown, Cypress Avenue, East Meadow, North Broadway, North Massapequa, Highwater Avenue, Massapequa, Finch Lane, Levittown, North Beech Street, North Massapequa and Jerusalem Avenue, Massapequa.
