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How Much Cell Phone Coverage Does Yellowstone Need?

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By Kurt Repanshek - August 8th, 2006

    Should you be able to gab on your cell phone no matter where in Yellowstone you are? Do you need WiFi coverage in the park's lodges and restaurants? Those are tough questions for some, no brainers for others.
    In the coming weeks, Yellowstone officials will be seeking public comment into those questions with meetings in Idaho Falls, Idaho, (tonight at the Best Western Cotton Tree Inn from 6 to 8), in Bozeman, Montana, (tomorrow night at the Comfort Inn, same time), and in Cody, Wyoming, (August 15th at the Park County Courthouse, same time). Written comments will be accepted through August 31st via mail, in person, or at this web site.
    The friendly folks at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility are convinced Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis already has made up her mind on this issue, and will side with more cell phone and wireless coverage in the park.
    I'm curious to learn how many folks out there think this is a good idea? 
 

    As I noted earlier this month, more cell-phone access could lead to more reductions in the ranks of park rangers and the national park experience itself, as Park Service officials in Washington looking to cut costs team with private interests to provide interpretation via cell phone.
    Too, there's always the issue of solitude, which long has been a hallmark of national parks. Many folks think cell-phone use in this country is becoming incredibly rude. Some restaurants ban it, most theaters do, and there are concerns that one day soon you'll be able to talk your head off from take-off to landing on your cross-country airline flight. Do we need it in a park's backcountry?
    On top of that, you could argue that cell phones and WiFi access will detract from a national park visit by serving as distractions. We already worry that our younger generations are becoming more and more detached from nature, and if we give kids more electronic devices to occupy themselves with during a national park trip, what will we have accomplished in trying to reverse this disconcerting trend?
    Two-thirds of Yellowstone already is covered by cell phone towers. Do we need more?
    Take a stand on this issue folks. As the saying goes, those who show up make the rules. If it can be done in Yellowstone, what national park will be able to keep out 100 percent cell phone and WiFi coverage?
   

Comments

Submitted by admin on August 9, 2006 - 7:43pm.
My wife and I did a 6-week tour of Natinonal Parks earlier this summer. I felt the need for my cell phone exactly once, when I wanted to call my father on Father's Day. However I found myself craving wi-fi access about twice a week. I was sort of surprised that none of the lodges at Yellowstone didn't have wi-fi, while Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton had it in the lobby. The accessibility for wi-fi, for us, was a godsend, considering we used it for research on where to go next, finding info on cabin & campground lodging from park to park, weather info to determine where our next stop should be, driving directions, etc. I agree that wi-fi service doesn't detract from the parks. Maybe some people would have a problem with walking into the main lobby at Jackson Lake Lodge and seeing a dozen people with their laptops out, but I didn't. I had a much bigger problem hiking up Signal Mountain in Grand Teton and, getting to top, overhearing four loud conversations from people on their cell phones. (There's a cell tower on the top of Signal Mountain, so I think most of the cars at the top were people who drove up just so they could get service.)

Submitted by admin on August 12, 2006 - 10:34am.
I sit and wonder if there was such public outrage when radio communications were first introduced into the park system. Certainly there was a percieved need for safety and security. Is the general public aware that the Parks have recently spent millions of dollars to upgrade radio communications with narrow band digital systems resulting in reduced coverage? This upgrade was necessary to allow more bandwidth for cell phone service. Belive it or not there are parks who are onboard and utilize cell technology because it is more reliable and capable in many situations. To give JLongstreet plenty of credit the Superintendents get paid to make resonable decisions concerning impacts and the use of technology. For the most part they do a great job and I think most focus on the Park Service mission rather than Public Opinion....but there are some.

Submitted by admin on August 12, 2006 - 10:34am.
I sit and wonder if there was such public outrage when radio communications were first introduced into the park system. Certainly there was a percieved need for safety and security. Is the general public aware that the Parks have recently spent millions of dollars to upgrade radio communications with narrow band digital systems resulting in reduced coverage? This upgrade was necessary to allow more bandwidth for cell phone service. Belive it or not there are parks who are onboard and utilize cell technology because it is more reliable and capable in many situations. To give JLongstreet plenty of credit the Superintendents get paid to make resonable decisions concerning impacts and the use of technology. For the most part they do a great job and I think most focus on the Park Service mission rather than Public Opinion....but there are some.

Submitted by admin on June 8, 2007 - 3:53pm.
With the cost of satellite phones (either via rental or purchase) affordable to most anyone who wants to get one, the debate over cellphone towers is a somewhat moot point. Delaying the introduction of cell towers to national parks is a temporary fix, one which those rude enough to yak on their phones will eventually overcome.

Submitted by admin on June 9, 2007 - 11:05pm.
HEY! I'm all for "Old Faithful, brought to you by Verizon" as long as it means more funding for the park! To all those tree-huggies and greenies who are technology challenged, get over yourselves...cell phones are here to stay...how about a little "tolerance" and "diversity" for other points of view, libbies??

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