Cellular service in the area looks to be getting a boost.
Verizon is currently installing a new tower in a field near the corner of Oxville Lane and Route 100 near Bluffs. South Jacksonville Public Works Superintendent John Green says the tower is on private farm ground, and the Village completed quite a bit of locate work as underground lines for the tower crosses the area where the village’s water service line runs from the river.
Chirs Serico, a spokesman for the company confirmed with the Journal-Courier that the tower is for Verizon, which has had limited to no coverage in West Central Illinois, including Jacksonville and South Jacksonville.
Serico says Verizon has been working to expand its coverage area for some time, and the new tower will improve its 4G LTE service.
Green says fiber optic cable was in process of being run to the tower sometime last week so he thinks it should be getting closer to operation. Serico told the Journal-Courier no specific timeline of when it will go into service has been set at this time. He anticipates the new town will come online before the year’s end.