A ongoing cellular service blackout has left residents of Grassy Cove scrambling for connection and raised serious public safety alarms, according to Cumberland County officials. The crisis, which began in April following a corporate buyout, has forced an entire community to rely almost exclusively on local Wi-Fi to communicate with the outside world.

We spoke with Cumberland County Commissioner Tom Isham who said the trouble started when US Cellular sold its assets. Following the acquisition by T-Mobile, a key tower servicing the area was decommissioned.

We also spoke with Commissioner Wendell Wilson, who lives in Grassy Cove, and he explained that the area previously relied on a tower on Black Mountain. During the spring buyout, that tower was sold and subsequently taken out of service. Since then, signal strength in the area has plummeted, leaving residents with virtually no standard cell coverage for months.

“Wi-Fi in homes works fine, but the moment you step outside, service is gone,” Wilson noted, adding that coverage has been unreliable or non-existent since April.

The lack of reliable cell service has created a critical hazard for local public safety and emergency personnel:

• Limited First Responder Capability: First responders face severe operational hurdles in Grassy Cove due to missing signal coverage.

• Highway 68 Hazard: If a motor vehicle accident occurs along Highway 68 in the area, individuals currently have to physically drive or walk to a designated coverage zone just to dial 911.

The issue recently brought together approximately 60 local families, the County Mayor, and representatives from T-Mobile for a community meeting to demand solutions.

In response to the growing public concern, the Cumberland County attorney has drafted a formal resolution addressing the outage, which will be discussed at Monday’s County Commissioners meeting.

While T-Mobile has acknowledged the issue and stated they hope to have the tower restored and operational by November, County officials say this is unacceptable as residents face several more months of spotty service and safety risks.