Yellowstone looks at cell service upgrade

The National Park Service is taking comment on a proposal to expand the capacity of cell towers in developed areas of Yellowstone National Park.

A proposal initiated by Verizon Wireless would improve capacity at Old Faithful and Grant, Canyon and Lake village areas.

Yellowstone Branch Chief of Telecommunications Bret De Young tells the Jackson Hole New & Guide that the park’s current communications infrastructure can’t handle the smartphones and mobile devices traffic.

De Young says the proposal doesn’t expand the cellular coverage area in the park, which is intentionally limited to the front country and around developed areas.

The project proposed would add only a single physical cell tower, which would be located in the Canyon area.

Comments on the plan are due by March 2.

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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com