CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — On Tuesday morning Clearfield County residents raised concerns over broadband internet and the lack of phone service at the county commissioners’ meeting. 

Larry Lumadue is a West Decatur resident that spoke to commissioners on March 28 about several issues he has with the services. He said he can barely send a picture over the internet and most of the time he has to travel to make a phone call. 

“The landlines are very unreliable they’re always down we’ll go for weeks at a time without any landline and then there’s no cell service in that area as well,” Lumadue said. “There’s about a two I’m gonna say two-and-a-half mile radius where cell signal is nonexistent.”

The ongoing issue was by many individuals in the room. They said many homes and businesses struggle with the issues.

One individual said, “There is a daycare and if there is no internet then the kids can’t really do anything, and if there’s an emergency it could be a huge problem.”

The problems not only make it difficult to communicate but according to residents when issues with phones arise they tend to last for weeks.   

“Well, we can’t communicate once the landlines are down no cell we’re dead in the water,” Lumadue added. “I have to travel about two miles up the hill to get to an area where there’s cell service to make any calls.”

The biggest concern with the lack of service is that it could be the difference between life and death in an emergency. 

“So if we have an emergency you know all we can do is jump in the car and run to town which is four miles away,” Lumadue said.  

Commissioners are trying to find a solution. 

“We’ve been fighting with Verizon about this in the Mahaffey area over the same exact problem,” Commissioner Dave Glass said. 

When residents reach out to Verizon they say that it is not their problem. They are told to go to their local municipalities which in this case would be Boggs Township.  

“I was going to put together a letter for Verizon anyway because that’s totally unacceptable,” Glass said. 

Lumadue says that he has attended a Boggs Township meeting and Supervisors have been very helpful. While Bogg Township supervisors haven’t figured out a clear solution they are hopeful that the answer will be found soon.