Neguse, Bennet, Hickenlooper Urge Federal Agencies to Restore Cell Service in Boulder County

October 13, 2026 Press Release Lafayette, CO — Following recent reports of unacceptable cellular service issues across Boulder County, Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper penned a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the agencies to meet with cellular carriers immediately and resolve the issues. The three major cellular carriers apparently limited their Boulder County coverage earlier this year to comply with federal signal transmission rules surrounding the Table Mountain Radio Quiet Zone north of Boulder. These federal signal limits protect ongoing research at several government agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey. “We write to urge your agencies to assist in resolving major reported cellular network outages in Boulder County, Colorado, following signal adjustments made to comply with National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regulations protecting the Table Mountain Radio Quiet Zone,” wrote Neguse, Bennet, and Hickenlooper. The lawmakers also pressed the NTIA and FCC to find a collaborative solution that will quickly address community concerns, particularly preserving access to cellular coverage as a vital public safety resource. “Full cell phone coverage is indispensable to everyday life. When people leave their homes, they expect to be able to use their cell phones for navigation, payment, and communication with others. Cell phones are also vital for public safety in Boulder County, which is prone to rapidly escalating wildfires.” They concluded with a call for swift solutions and asked that the FCC and NTIA keep congressional offices and local governments updated on the outcome of the requested meeting and progress toward restoring full connectivity. “[W]e respectfully request that FCC and NTIA officials meet with carriers immediately in order to find a solution that will allow them to restore functional cellular service to their customers as soon as possible. We also request that you update our offices and local governments on the outcome of that meeting and report back to us on your progress as all parties work to restore full connectivity,” the lawmakers concluded. Read the full letter HERE and below: October 13, 2026 The Honorable Brendan Carr Chairman Federal Communications Commission 45 L Street NE Washington, DC 20554 The Honorable Arielle Roth Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration 1401 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20230 Dear Chairman Carr and Assistant Secretary Roth, We write to urge your agencies to assist in resolving major reported cellular network outages in Boulder County, Colorado, following signal adjustments made to comply with National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regulations protecting the Table Mountain Radio Quiet Zone. As we understand it, in late 2024, the NTIA Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) notified three major cellular carriers that they needed to modify their signals received within the Table Mountain Radio Quiet Zone, the 50-mile radius where federal regulations limit radio transmission frequency that could otherwise interfere with the research of the ITS, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey. The three major carriers have publicly stated that they have since adjusted their signals to comply with Table Mountain frequency limits. However, these signal adjustments appear to have significantly downgraded cellular network coverage for Boulder County consumers. Our constituents in the nearby towns of Longmont and Niwot have filed more than 100 formal complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reporting that they cannot make phone calls or use data on their cell phones, even when their devices indicate full network coverage. While the three major carriers have publicly indicated they will further upgrade their networks to compensate for the necessary signal reductions, our constituents lack vital cell connectivity in the interim. Full cell phone coverage is indispensable to everyday life. When people leave their homes, they expect to be able to use their cell phones for navigation, payment, and communication with others. Cell phones are also vital for public safety in Boulder County, which is prone to rapidly escalating wildfires. Our constituents use their cell phones to notify their families and friends that they are safe during wildfire season and to warn neighbors of unpredictable wildfire shifts. For example, the 2021 Marshall Fire, which killed two people and burned nearly 1,000 structures, progressed so rapidly that many residents would not have known to immediately evacuate had they not been alerted by a phone call or text from someone they knew. Given all of the foregoing, we respectfully request that FCC and NTIA officials meet with carriers immediately in order to find a solution that will allow them to restore functional cellular service to their customers as soon as possible. We also request that you update our offices and local governments on the outcome of that meeting and report back to us on your progress as all parties work to restore full connectivity. Sincerely, ###