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Residents tell Cerritos council poor cell coverage in parts of the city is a safety issue
Summary
A Heritage Park resident told the council that repeated disconnections and near‑dead zones from multiple carriers pose an emergency‑communication risk; city staff said the city has contacted infrastructure providers and will continue outreach.
Toby Balma, a longtime Cerritos resident and neighborhood watch block captain, told the City Council on Nov. 13 that parts of the city — notably Heritage Park — experience frequent cellular disconnects and near‑dead zones that have interfered with medical calls and everyday safety. "Enough is enough," Balma said, describing repeated dropped calls and telling the council he has been disconnected while speaking to his medical provider.
Balma said he and other residents have spoken with the city manager’s office and that the city manager has reached out to Crown Castle, a tower infrastructure company, and cellular carriers to explore technical fixes such as adjusting antenna pointing, adding transponders or installing extenders on utility poles. The resident said T‑Mobile informed him there are several towers nearby but that none are oriented toward Heritage Park.
City manager Robert Lopez confirmed the city has been in contact with infrastructure companies and carriers and said staff will continue pursuing options. Lopez did not offer a specific technical remedy or timeline at the meeting. Councilmembers thanked Balma for raising the issue and asked staff to follow up; no formal action (motion or directed study) was recorded at the meeting beyond staff outreach.
What residents said: Balma said his home frequently shows one or fewer bars of service and that calls drop when he enters his garage; he and block captains are surveying neighbors to document problem areas.
What the city said: Staff indicated the city has limited regulatory authority over carrier network design but can use its municipal relationships to encourage infrastructure investments and can coordinate with Crown Castle and carriers to explore targeted improvements.
Next steps: Council asked staff to continue outreach to carriers and infrastructure owners; staff did not set a deadline at the meeting.
Representative quote: "The Heritage Park area is almost in a dead zone... I was disconnected while talking to my medical provider," Toby Balma said.
