Telecom Upgrades Moving at a Glacial Pace in National Park

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Park officials in the Montana wilderness say they do not want to clutter the landscape with cell towers, but they do recognize that extending digital connectivity within park borders has become a necessity. Glacier National Park covers a million acres in the northwestern part of the state, where opportunities to stay connected are scarce. Yet as the Fairfield Sun Times points out, visitors seeking a day pass to the remote park are required to download their ticket, making digital access at the park entrance a must.

“Glacier uses the internet to provide the best possible and latest information to visitors, and visitors need to be able to access that information for trip planning and to stay updated on current conditions such as unanticipated road, trail and campground closures,” a National Park Service assessment noted. “Connectivity is also important to off-duty employees and their families to meet daily needs that are increasingly dependent on internet access, such as paying bills and accessing bank accounts.”

There is some cell service in regions of the park closest to commercial towers outside park boundaries, but there is an increasing call to extend service within Glacier Park. Officials are currently reviewing a plan that would upgrade services.

“Under the plan,” explained spokesperson Gina Kerzman, “commercial cellular and/or internet infrastructure and coverage would only be considered in developed areas at Many Glacier, Rising Sun, Two Medicine, and Lake McDonald Lodge. Coverage would be restricted to these developed areas only.”

“While recognizing that national parks provide disconnected space for many visitors, the plan also proposes a strategy for commercial cellular and/or internet access for public and NPS use in certain developed areas,” the Glacier Park representative continued. She hastened to add that the NPS plan did not include massive cell towers or equipment placement within the Backcountry Zone.

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