Informal group aims to improve cell phone and internet service on Island
The Avalon City Council unanimously designated Councilmembers Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy and Lisa Lavell to work with the Island Connectivity Group for a year.
At the Oct. 20 meeting, Cassidy had raised concerns about cell phone and internet service on the island. Technically, the vote was 4-0, with Councilmember Yesenia De La Rosa absent.
Internet service is an on-going issue with residents and visitors.
Cassidy said the Connectivity Group has already held two informal meetings. She said the goal of the group is to improve connectivity.
“If you cannot get a cell phone call out to 911, you have a problem,” she said.
“We cannot be sustainable the way we are right now,” Cassidy said.
Local businessman Carl Johnson said that in the past week his business had experienced a dozen internet outages a day. “It really hurts,” he said.
He urged the public to document connectivity issues.
In an email, Capt. John Hocking, the Avalon Sheriff’s Station commander, wrote that connectivity on Catalina has always been poor, but had been worse in the past few months.
“I am specifically referring to cellular telephone service. One company does not appear to be better or worse than another. They are all extremely poor. I hope they will be able to improve the connectivity in the near future because a lot of people on the island depend on their service,” Hocking said.
In an August 2020 letter to The Islander, Cathie Watson-Short of Saratoga argued that Avalon Harbor needed a better internet connection. “Over the years we will be sitting on the boat wanting to book an activity and can’t complete an online reservation due to the slow internet,” she wrote.
