In yet another sign that it's becoming a digital world, Yellowstone National Park officials are reportedly in talks with CenturyLink about installing a $34 million fiber-optic line that would run through adjacent Grand Teton National Park and into Yellowstone to improve wireless services, according to the Associated Press.
Park officials are only in preliminary discussions as of now and CenturyLink has yet to submit a formal application for the proposal, per the AP report. Park officials and company spokeswoman Michelle Jackson reportedly told the AP that CenturyLink asked for most costs to be covered by the Park Service and companies such as Verizon and Union Wireless that would be helped by the increased wireless service. Park officials have not agreed to absorb these costs so far.
Some are concerned about the effect the line could have on the natural environment. That includes Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Jeff Ruch, the advocacy group's executive director, said increasing the park's bandwidth would create more "electronic distractions" that could disrupt the surrounding environment. He also said that much-needed road maintenance and other basic infrastructure improvements should take precedence over the CenturyLink deal.
However, Yellowstone technology chief Bret De Young stressed that wireless coverage would only cover five developed areas inside the park and would not span the entire park, via the report.
Not only would the deal help phone service within Yellowstone, but it would also allow for easier and quicker sharing online via social media tools like Facebook and Instagram for travelers.
Yellowstone's discussions with CenturyLink are part of the National Park Service's campaign to "Go Digital" as it looks ahead to its 100th anniversary in 2016. According to agency spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet, not all participating parks will be run the same way when it comes to providing better wireless service, but it's clear the National Park Service isn't turning back now.
Picavet said, via the report, "People are dependent on wireless, they're dependent on cellular - a mode of communication and activeness that is different from what the National Park Service has provided previously."
Concession companies have also been pressuring other national parks to provide better digital services, such as Arizona's Grand Canyon, Texas' Big Bend and Maine's Acadia, according to the AP.
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