Parks Canada to Offer Wi-Fi at National Parks
Parks Canada has plans to offer Wi-Fi at National Parks. They are aiming to have 25 to 50 locations this year and approximately 100 by 2016. Typically, the service would be offered for free as part of the regular price for entry into the park, although fees could be implemented where Wi-Fi service is costly, or very remote.
Parks Canada operates 44 National Parks, 167 National Historic Sites, 4 Marine Conservation Areas and 1 National Urban Park. Every year, these sites are visited over 20 million times by Canadians and by visitors from abroad. Since 3G/4G cell coverage is only partial (or non-existent), visitors have mentioned that they feel disconnected. Here are reasons that people have mentioned as to why they would want connectivity...
- To stay in touch with work
- To stay in touch with friends and family
- To stay aware of news in their region, country and in the world
- To share their experiences on-the-go (social media, write reviews, etc.)
- To plan for their trip on-the-go (check weather, make reservations, read reviews, etc.)
- To monitor their home while away (security cameras, security systems, etc.)
Amongst the locations that could offer Wi-Fi, the majority are historic sites, or at Visitors Centres, so there still looks to be the option to enjoy the remoteness of being disconnected.
