NAPLES, Fla. — Cell service is finally getting a boost in one part of the Golden Gate Estates, where residents have long struggled with poor reception.
On Tuesday, Collier County commissioners gave the final approval for a new 150-foot telecommunications tower on Weber Boulevard between Golden Gate Boulevard and Vanderbilt Beach Road.
A contractor for Florida Power & Light will install the tower. It will primarily support Verizon customers, but could expand to include other carriers in the future, project leaders said.
WATCH TO SEE HOW BAD THE RECEPTION IS NOW IN THE AREA:
For some local residents, the decision is a long time coming.
“I’m glad it’s finally been approved. It’s been three years in the approval process,” said Jill Snyder following the commissioners' unanimous vote.
Snyder has lived in the Estates for six years and led a push to improve cell coverage with her neighbors.
"Back in 2022, myself and hundreds if not thousands of people in the area filed complaints to the FCC for a lack of cellphone coverage in this area — the Estates,” she said.
Poor connectivity has become more than a daily inconvenience — many residents say it’s a safety concern.
Fox 4 Community Correspondent Mahmoud Bennett tested the signal strength at the tower’s proposed site and found only one bar of service, with internet speeds too slow to load a webpage at times. Just a few miles away, the difference was stark — four bars and a much faster connection.
Still, not everyone is on board. Some neighbors are concerned the large tower could hurt property values and disrupt the quiet landscape.
“I don’t like it. I think what they’re trying to do is create an object that doesn’t fit in the environment and trying to make it fit. It just doesn’t, it detracts,” said Paul Turner, a local biker.
But Snyder argues the ability to make emergency calls far outweighs any visual downside.
“I’m fine with the visual side of it, absolutely,” she said. “I need to make a cellphone call. Connectivity in 2025 is critical in all facets."
Project leaders say the new tower could be up and running in four to six months.
