(OPINION) Yellowstone National Park Installing Fiber Optic Cables? Yes, Please!

If you've ever driven through Yellowstone National Park, you're aware of its natural beauty. Notoriously, however, it's been difficult to make any phone calls in the park, but the National Park Service is looking to change that by upgrading the telecommunication system to fiber optics, and I couldn't be happier by this decision.

What is fiber optic communication?

Fiber optics is the transfer of information over long distances using strands of fiber made of glass. It is extremely fast, as the information is transferred as pulses of light, and it isn't affected by electromagnetic interference because the fiber isn't metal.

Internet data can be transferred as quickly as 10 gigabits per second. This means that a file that is 2GB large would only take 1 second to download. Because information can be transferred extremely quickly, medical and criminal emergencies can be expedited and taken care of much faster.

I say, do it!

According to the notice from the National Park Service, the installation of the fiber optic cables in Yellowstone National Park is scheduled to begin in 2023, and the cable will run along the roadways in the park. In addition, they will not be expanding where you'll have service or installing new cellular towers anywhere in the park.

This keeps the integrity and beauty of the park intact while also improving vital communications in certain areas and getting rid of old, outdated technology. This is extremely important, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

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The improvement of the communications in the park will not only allow tourists to have better coverage on their own phones, but will allow rangers and workers at the park to better and more efficiently communicate with vital members of law enforcement, EMTs, and firefighters. Let's see some faster speeds in Yellowstone!