Yellowstone Reopens Comment Period On Proposal To Expand WiFi Coverage

Public comment again is being accepted on a plan to improve Wi-Fi coverage at Yellowstone National Park/AccessParks graphic

Additional public comment is being taken through June 10 by Yellowstone National Park staff on a proposal to install more than 500 antennas ranging in size from 7 inches to 6 feet in diameter for improved Wi-Fi service at the park's developed areas.

The proposal was open for a period last fall, but new photo illustrations of how the equipment would look prompted the decision to reopen the comment period. You can find a collection of graphics depicting the installations and coverage areas at this page.

AccessParks, which has claimed people don't visit national parks for longer periods because of a lack of high-speed Internet service, wants to install the service to more than 400 buildings in the park's developed areas that are managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which would pay for the installations. The request involves installation of "wireless radios, microwave point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and indoor Wi-Fi installations."

According to the latest proposal, up to 484 small (10 x 10 inch or 7-inch diameter) antennas would be installed in or on employee housing and visitor lodging facilities at Canyon Village, Grant Village, Lake Village, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Old Faithful. To link the local antennas to the internet service outside of the park, a network of 39 additional antennas would be required, a park release explained. Of those 39, three would be 6-foot-diameter microwave antennas installed on existing towers at Old Faithful, Grant Village, and Fishing Bridge.

"The purpose of these antennas would be to deliver service directly to the developed areas and not to broadcast Wi-Fi signals," said the release.

AccessParks intends to limit each site's coverage to "the general footprint of each facility included in the proposal."

"To have no adverse effect to historic properties or districts, most (more than 75 percent) of the antennas on National Register of Historic Places eligible structures would be located in attic spaces or under eaves," the release added.

Historic properties in the park that would be affected include Canyon Lodge, Lake Hotel, the Lake Hamilton Store, 78 Lake Hotel guest cabins, 64 Lake Lodge guest cabins, Seagull Dormitory, Mammoth Hotel, 97 Mammoth guest cabins, the Mammoth Dining Hall, Lodgepole dormitory, Juniper dormitory, Spruce dormitory, Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Lodge, 161 Old Faithful guest cabins, Laurel dormitory, and Columbine dormitory.

AccessParks has installed similar networks at Glacier National Park and Lake Mead National Recration Area, according to Yellowstone officials.

Superintendent Cam Sholly has described the installation as necessary for park employees and residents.

"Personally, providing the connectivity to visitors is secondary to providing connectivity to the 3,000-4,000 NPS and concession employees, many of whom live/work in some of the most remote parts of the park," Sholly told Traveler last fall. "Lack of connectivity is regularly cited as a major concern by employees and their families, and is unquestionably a major recruitment/retention issue. That said, we hear regularly from visitors that they wish we had better WiFi in visitor centers and hotels. Keep in mind that we already have WiFi (and associated infrastructure) in many areas; it's just very very slow. The upgrades and technology proposed here would make a major difference to employees and visitors.

"In regards to people who opine that connectivity upgrades within developed areas shouldn't occur, I invite them to come live at Grant Village or South Entrance, or Old Faithful for a season," the superintendent added. "They can see first-hand the enormous frustration much of our workforce has not being able to connect - whether that's kids doing homework, or other things we all use the internet for."

The updated proposal, and space to comment, can be found here.