Will cell phone service ever make it to Grand Portage? Things were looking hopeful in October when Sheriff Mark Falk and communications specialist Duane Ege met with a representative of T-Mobile. T-Mobile had asked to lease space on one of the towers on the old ski hill above Grand Marais, and Ege and Falk negotiated for that lease to include T-Mobile equipment on a tower in Grand Portage. According to Falk, the Grand Portage tower was built for things like cell phone equipment.
The T-Mobile representative met with the Grand Portage Reservation Tribal Council (RTC), and Falk wrote in a December 15 memo to the county board, “…It was my understanding that the RTC was very enthused about the agreement that had been reached. Grand Portage has been working tirelessly over the last few years to get cell service on the reservation with no luck, so it appeared that there had finally been a breakthrough.”
On November 11, Sheriff Falk received an email from T-Mobile indicating that they would not be providing cell phone service to Grand Portage. “They cited both upfront and operating costs,” Falk wrote in his memo to the board. “To say the least we were very disappointed to see that T-Mobile decided not to provide cell phone service in Grand Portage.”
When the county’s communications committee met November 16, Falk wrote, “it was unanimously decided to recommend that Cook County not enter in a tower lease agreement with T-Mobile.” He added his personal opinion as well. “…With T-Mobile’s decision not to provide cell phone service in Grand Portage I would recommend that Cook County not enter or honor a lease agreement for T-Mobile to lease tower space on Cook County’s GM-11 tower.”
Commissioners Jan Hall and Bob Fenwick, also on the communications committee, agreed with the sheriff. We should support Grand Portage, Fenwick said.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson asked if the county is legally required to offer space on the tower, and Sheriff Falk said he didn’t think so. What if we charged T-Mobile double the proposed amount of $100 a month? Martinson asked. “I think we have a really strong relationship with Grand Portage,” Fenwick answered, “and I don’t think we should compromise that at all.”
Sheriff Falk said they received no response from T-Mobile after notifying the company that the communications committee had recommended denial of its request for tower space.
The county board voted unanimously to deny T-Mobile’s request to lease space on the tower in Grand Marais.
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