Nextel, the cellular phone company, is underway to installing an antenna on Skyline College property.

The San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) is leasing a portion of the area on Skyline to Nextel to build the antenna.

The antenna will be located at the south end of the facilities maintenance center, which is at the eastern side of parking lot 2, just above the sports field.

According to Linda Da Silva, SMCCCD director of facilities planning & operations, Nextel is the primary source of wireless communication for the district.

The facilities department at all three community colleges in the district utilize Nextel for their radios.

Zak Conway of Swinerton Management & Consulting, which manages capital improvements for the whole district, said that with the installation of the antenna people in the facilities department at Skyline are going to be happier because the quality of the reception at the school as it is now is of low quality.

Nextel chose to build an antenna at Skyline to improve the cell phone coverage in the area, according to Nextel’s Construction Engineer Adam Croney.

“Radio frequency engineers picked Skyline because it was the best location,” Croney said.

Plans to install the antenna have been negotiated by the district for over two years Nextel finalized the design for the antenna three months ago.

Construction of the antenna began on Nov. 1 and is scheduled to be finished by the end of this month or early next year.