According to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center 2011-2012 factbook, the hospital has 21,000 employees. The concentration of people is part of the problem with cell phone service. Credit: John Russell / Vanderbilt University
The campus of Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a notorious dead zone for AT&T customers. So the cellphone carrier has announced the installation of more than 1,200 mini antennas at one of Middle Tennessee’s largest employers.
It’s well-known to Vanderbilt staff that AT&T customers may not get a good connection. Nurse Leslie Ruth says she ends up having to go outside on breaks to retrieve messages. And she finds herself consoling patients and families who use the same provider.
“If I overhear someone complaining about how bad their coverage is. ‘Oh I can’t get this message. Why won’t this message send out? Then it’s like, ‘oh, you have AT&T, don’t you.’”
Tightly-packed buildings and a concentration of cellphone users are the factors AT&T blames for its spotty service. A new Distributed Antenna System is supposed to provide more consistent coverage.
Sprint has already boosted coverage on the Vanderbilt campus, which helped it become deemed the “preferred” vendor for employees.
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