San Diego Cell Service Possibly Affected by New Operator in Mexico

Spotty cell phone service for some San Diego County customers may be due to a new wireless operator in Mexico, Verizon Wireless told NBC 7. 

For weeks, some Verizon customers in San Diego County have noticed reception issues in neighborhoods as far north as North Park. That's where Bleu Ford noticed issues starting two weeks ago. 

"There's moments where it will be OK and we have like one bar and you can get a call out and it will be no problem. And then, all of a sudden, it goes dead and you hit a dead zone," Ford said.

Verizon Wireless said, in a statement to NBC 7, the recent launch of a wireless operator on the southern side of the U.S.-Mexico border, in the same spectrum band as Verizon, was causing interference for their customers.

The new company, Atlan Redes, said the issue is "one between countries and not between carriers so it is a topic for the government agencies."

"In any case, Atlán is deploying and operating its network in strict compliance with the obligations of its concession and the radiation protocols in force with the United States," a statement from the Atlan Redes said.

In the meantime, Verizon has added capacity to their network in an effort to minimize impact.

"Please know we are working with the FCC to resolve this issue as soon as possible," the company told NBC 7.

Although, Ford said, she will have to consider switching phone companies if the issue is not resolved soon enough.

Verizon said customers with severe interference should reach out to their customer service team.