After inking a multimillion dollar upgrade with a Maine firm to expand and improve cellphone service in Washington County, Verizon Wireless is hanging it up in eastern Maine.
The company has sent letters to 2,000 customers in Washington County urging them to sign new contracts with competing cellphone service providers by Oct. 17, if they wish to retain their current cellphone numbers.
Three years ago, Wireless Partners, a Portland-based company operating in Maine and New Hampshire, was one of 20 firms around the country selected to work with Verizon Wireless to expand service in rural areas. Wireless Partners constructed 13 new towers in Washington County to provide better coverage along routes 1 and 9.
Verizon then started offering cellphone plans with no data limitations to entice new customers. But Maine Public Advocate Barry Hobbins says the company then found out the roaming price tag for the incentive was higher than anticipated.
Now, Hobbins says, Verizon Wireless is pulling out of rural service agreements in areas of several states — including Washington County.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Verizon Wireless terminating service for 2,000 cellphone customers in Washington County,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer A.J. Higgins, Maine Public, please follow this link to the BDN online.
