T-Mobile Shutdown Continues

Weston Today photo

Both sides express a desire to continue negotiations, but “T-Mobile’s strategy looks like an attempt to create fear and anxiety among Weston residents,” says First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor in a statement, describing the wireless provider’s approach as an attempt to force capitulation and “to intimidate a small town.”

At issue is proposed rent for T-Mobile to continue using the cellular tower on the municipal campus on Norfield Road. The Town took full ownership of the tower at the end of 2024, and proposed new lease amounts to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

According to the first selectwoman’s statement, Verizon and AT&T came to terms in “straightforward negotiations” with the Town’s agent, agreeing to pay $94,000 and $85,000 a year respectively, with “modest increases” going forward. Both firms also agreed to make those payments retroactive to the Town’s assumption of ownership last year.

T-Mobile declined, rejecting the Town’s proposed $88,200 for the first year of the lease and countering with an offer of $30,251.76.

“So far, they have been unwilling to move from that offer,” said Ms. Nestor. Instead, she said, T-Mobile has notified the Town that it intends to remove its equipment and discontinue cellular service in Weston.

Ms. Nestor noted that T-Mobile has not paid rent for use of the tower since the Town took ownership in December.

Revenues from tower lease payments relieve some taxpayer expense to maintain it, operate the emergency dispatch center, and fund the Town general administration.

“This tower is a Town-owned asset,” said Ms. Nestor. “And it’s only fair that the companies using it pay something that reflects its value. Accepting significantly less would not be in the best interest of Weston taxpayers.”

T-Mobile statement

A statement T-Mobile provided to Weston Today reads:

“Our priority is keeping customers in Weston and across Connecticut connected. While we are no longer maintaining the site on Route 57 due to changes in the lease proposed by the Town of Weston, service in the community continues and nearby sites have been optimized.”

“We’re actively exploring additional options to further strengthen connectivity. T-Mobile is having ongoing communications with the Town and its Board of Selectmen, and we look forward to continuing those conversations to address coverage needs.”

At press time, it is not clear how nearby T-Mobile sites have been optimized to restore service to customers in Weston, although the company continues to lease and transmit on a tower at the transfer station.

It is also not clear how “service in the community continues,” unless that refers to users having at least one bar on their phone, usually enough for texting but often not enough for a phone call. It is, however, enough to justify continuing to bill for service, as we have heard from users.

At press time, T-Mobile’s coverage map continues to show service to Weston, despite the apparent power-down on the tower. On September 2, we contacted T-Mobile technical support and were told the company’s Weston services were “all up and running,” with “no outages.” But by then we had already heard from several customers who no longer had a T-Mobile signal and wondered why.

What can customers do?

First, as the first selectwoman notes in her statement, by law T-Mobile customers in Weston can still use their phones to call 911 for emergencies, as Verizon and AT&T continue to provide service from the tower.

We have not heard a success story from anyone who has called or visited T-Mobile customer service.

As we understand it, one customer had success by contacting the Better Business Bureau and that T-Mobile subsequently issued a refund.

Ms. Nestor emphasizes that service disruptions “are being implemented solely by T-Mobile and are being done remotely without the Town’s involvement.” She suggests reaching out to T-Mobile directly. “Sometimes, hearing from the community helps move negotiations forward in a constructive way.”

The First Selectwoman’s full statement can be viewed here and downloaded.

The full statement we received from T-Mobile is quoted in its entirety herein.