The advance of modern communications technology has helped to make a grey nomad adventure into the Australian outback at least seem a little safer … and therefore a little more accessible … but are we in danger of getting too much of a good thing?
Few people would argue that it makes sense for remote area travellers to take a satellite phone or some sort of emergency communication with them ‘just in case’. But does the ongoing expansion of the mobile phone coverage network mean that the wilderness is less wild and that humdrum domestic issues are simply brought along for the ride?
While many grey nomads are delighted when they can get mobile phone coverage in unexpected spots, such as a far-flung national park … is it actually changing the outback experience for the worse? Do we really want to sit in Western Australia’s magnificent Karijini National Park talking to a son-in-law in Sydney about his troubles with his new boss? Or, even worse, do we want to listen to the people camping nearby doing similar?
Could it be that widespread mobile phone access a nasty trip-ruining ‘negative’ fiendishly well disguised as a ‘positive’? It’s certainly a debate raging in the US at the moment as managers at the iconic Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, ponder requests to install new telecommunications towers or upgrade existing ones.
“I’ve had two visitors calling me literally within hours of each other who wanted exactly the opposite experience,” Lee Dickinson, a special-uses program manager for the US Park, told the Reuters news agency. “One saying he didn’t vacation anywhere without electronic access and the other complaining he was disturbed by another park visitor ordering pizza on his cell phone.”
Wireless supporters say better coverage will improve visitor safety, and the ability to download smartphone applications that can deliver instant information on plants and animals, will enrich park visitors’ experiences.
“Our customers are telling us that having access to technology will enhance their visit to wild areas,” said Bob Kelley, spokesman for Verizon Wireless, which is seeking to install a new 100-foot cell tower at Yellowstone. However, outdoor enthusiasts worry that many parks’ serenity will be destroyed as visitors chatter on mobile phones and fiddle with electronic tablets. Nothing, they argue, should detract from the experience of visiting such natural wonders as Yellowstone’s celebrated geyser, Old Faithful.
While Yellowstone already has limited mobile phone service due to four towers in developed sections of the park, vast swathes of the massive park, which straddles three states still lack wireless reception. In an age dominated by Wi-Fi and iPad users who expect access even in the most remote locations, does that mean potential visitors are staying away?
Would you like to see phone towers erected even in the most remote areas of Australia to ensure you can talk to family at home wherever you are? Or, do you prefer the sound of the Kookaburra’s laugh or the tumbling waterfall to that of a ringing telephone? Do you avoid areas without mobile coverage? Do you restrict your mobile phone use when in beauty spots? Comment below.
in most remote areas in australia mobile phone coverage is non existant maily because its not economical for the towers to be there and thats the way it will probably stay