Do Wi-Fi and Cell Service Belong in Our National Parks?

[cabinish]

"Plenty of people experience nature through a lens. So it's no surprise that Yellowstone National Park wants to enhance cellular and Wi-Fi coverage throughout some of its 2.2 million acres. It would require serious infrastructure changes, including two new cellular towers at scenic points, and a bulky antennae platform on historic Mount Washburn.

. . .Maps from service providers AT&T and Verizon, according to PEER, indicate that coverage would bleed into Yellowstone's backcountry areas, which are cherished in part for their remoteness."

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/arti ... onal-parks

[Tarryall]

Great question. Will the youth stop going to National Parks unless they get WiFi? Or will they get to even experience them if their face is looking at a tablet instead of a timber wolf?

[cabinish]

Withdrawal from tech devices could make summer vacation a nightmare, but park infrastructure is losing out to cell towers for improvement
resources.

I don't want to see a cell tower by Yellowstone Falls.

[Tarryall]

So many parks are already overcrowded so as a park visitor I wouldn't mind if more people stayed away. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to close a few roads while they are at it. Let people walk on them instead of sitting bumper to bumper snorting exhaust fumes.

[Josey]

I'm ok with it as long as the towers are out of sight.

And I personally hate smart phones, but I can compromise! See!

I can just see it now, some dip sh*t tourist walking and staring at their phone, texting, and they run right into a Bison or Grizzly bear, or fall off a cliff. LoL Halarious.

[cabinish]

People get distracted with taking videos with their phone versus having the experience for themselves.