Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Chief Operating Officer Alan Henceroth said in a blog post Wednesday, July 28, that Verizon is installing a cell tower on the ski area’s summit this summer.

“Verizon customers will join the (AT&T) gang by having ready phone access when skiing,” Henceroth said.

Henceroth said the tower will replace the ski area’s current weather station tower.

“The new tower will look a little, but not wildly, different,” he said. “Additionally, you will see a new, small building, that houses most of the equipment, as you head towards Zuma Cornice.”

Henceroth said a few years ago AT&T installed cell phone repeaters at A-Basin’s Black Mountain Lodge and A-Frame. He added that A-Basin’s remote location has made it difficult to provide cell coverage.

“Cell coverage is now so commonplace, it is easy to forget that A-Basin is still kind of out there,” Henceroth said. “We are at the end of the power line and the end of the phone line. We have a microwave set up for our data service. All of our water and waste water treatment facilities are operated by The Basin and not connected to anywhere else. The capacity of all these systems is limited.

“With both (AT&T) and Verizon, getting projects through the pipeline has taken years and years primarily due to our remote access to utilities.”