Borrego Sun - Since 1949

I have been in Borrego five years and AT&T service goes down for two or more days every year at this time. The first time I called in three years ago, the AT&T rep said someone is working on the tower. I went to the tower at the Fire Station and no one was there. I found out a year later that Verizon owns that tower and AT&T leases it.

Last year at this time, it went down for two days. So I went by the AT&T tower on S22 between Borrego and S86 on my way to the AT&T store in Indio. No one was working on the tower. The AT&T manager said I was the fourth person to come in and complain from Borrego. He said that AT&T is late on making their lease payment to Verizon for the cell tower next to the Borrego fire station, so they cut the service. I am telling the truth.

This year I am hearing two stories, the one on your website about them working on the tower and when I called AT&T tech support, they told me they are taking the signal down in order to do a 5G upgrade for 24 – 48 hours. I told her that AT&T should tell Borrego customers so they can plan ahead. What if someone has to call 911. She agreed. I was up in Julian that day and she told me when I get back that the service will be up. She then texted me saying my issue was resolved. Well, drove back to Borrego and no service, she gave me lip service! The signal came back on around noon the next day!

I talked to the sheriff the first day the signal went down and their Borrego station was down and an AT&T person was to look into it. I don’t know what happened with them. But the town, fire department and sheriff should put some pressure on AT&T to get the real answer why Borrego has no signal for two days every year.

I know the AT&T tower on S22 works during these outages because I drive either to S78 by the Texas dip or past Rams Hill to the water tower and get one bar from that tower.

Randal Slane

– Borrego Springs, California