Hockessin’s New Cell Tower Begins Construction After Years of Planning, Here’s What You Need to Know

After nearly two years of planning and more years of no cell phone signal for residents, construction has begun on one of three cell towers slated for construction in New Castle County.

On Aug. 29, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer met with legislators and Verizon representatives to break ground on Verizon’s newest cell tower, located near the Hockessin Police Athletic League at 7529 Lancaster Pike.

For years, residents have reported “dead zones” near Hockessin and other areas in southern New Castle County where cellphones and laptops have no signal.

Background: Plans Announced to Fix Cell Phone Dead Zones in Hockessin and Middletown Areas

With $1.3 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the county hired an outside firm to conduct a study to determine which areas of New Castle County would have the worst signal reception in 2023 and narrowed those areas down to three sites for new cell towers.

1. Middletown-Odessa-Townsend Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, 810 Old Corbitt Road, Middletown

2. Back Creek Drive, 123 Back Creek Drive, Middletown

3. Hockessin Police Athletic League, 7529 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin

The county sent out a request for proposal for each site, and bids from service providers were due by Sept. 6, 2023. That process had to be restarted, delaying plans to build the towers.

As part of the winning bid, Verizon signed a 10-year lease to provide cellular service in the area.

The deal with Verizon to acquire the Hockessin cell tower was finalized earlier this year, and it was going through the county’s zoning process before construction began.

Neither New Castle County nor Verizon have provided a timeline for construction of the cell tower.

Molly McVety is a Delaware community and environmental advocate. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

This article originally appeared in the Delaware News Journal: Hockessin cell tower begins construction: Here’s what you need to know