ZTL CTLR CONCERNED WITH RADIO FREQ COVERAGE IN THE VICINITY OF SUG VORTAC; FOR LOW ALT TFC TRANSITIONING TO AND FROM AVL ARPT.

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ACFT X WAS ENRTE TO 1A5 (MACON COUNTY; GA). WE RECEIVED A RADAR HDOF FROM AVL APCH; BUT WE NEVER COMMUNICATED WITH THE ACFT. WE LOST RADAR CONTACT AND HAD TO CALL THE ARPT TO SEE IF HE HAD ARRIVED. OUR RADIO 134.8 HAS BEEN UNSATISFACTORY FOR THIS ALT. WE HAVE RPTED THIS SAME PROB FOR AT LEAST 10 YRS. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO FIX THE PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ZTL FACILITY SPECIALIST ADVISED THERE IS AN APPROX 10000 FT MINIMUM RECEPTION ALT REQUIRED TO ENSURE CONSTANT FREQ COVERAGE IN THE AREA IN QUESTION. AVL LIES IN A VALLEY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SNOWBIRD MOUNTAIN RANGE. TO THE SW OF AVL IS ALSO THE SNOWBIRD MOA. THERE ARE 3 RADIO AIR/GND (RAG) SITES THAT PROVIDE COVERAGE TO THIS MOUNTAINOUS REGION -- ONE 55 MI NW OF ATL; 10 MI NW OF SNOWBIRD MOUNTAIN (NEWPORT; TN); HRS VORTAC (KNOXVILLE; TN). ZTL HAS THIS AREA IDENTED AS A CONCERN FOR RADIO COVERAGE FOR ACFT OPERATING BELOW 10000 FT IN A FACILITY BULLETIN AND THE EFFECTED CTL SECTORS SOP MANUAL.