Web world expands to include state parks
Vacationing at the beach or camping out under the stars? Taking
a day trip to a mission? When packing the essentials, don’t forget
to add a laptop to the list. Nearly 50 California State Parks now
offer Wi-Fi, or wireless Internet access, as an amenity for
visitors.
”
Increasingly travelers have wanted to have their high speed
Internet to go,
”
said Sarah Baker, a spokesperson for AT
&
amp;T.
”
Whether traveling for business, hiking or camping, we’ve seen an
increasing demand to have it on the go.
”
Web world expands to include state parks
Vacationing at the beach or camping out under the stars? Taking a day trip to a mission? When packing the essentials, don’t forget to add a laptop to the list. Nearly 50 California State Parks now offer Wi-Fi, or wireless Internet access, as an amenity for visitors.
“Increasingly travelers have wanted to have their high speed Internet to go,” said Sarah Baker, a spokesperson for AT&T. “Whether traveling for business, hiking or camping, we’ve seen an increasing demand to have it on the go.”
San Juan Bautista State Historic Park is one of the many park locations that have Wi-Fi access up and running. Other locations in the region included Monterey State Historic Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, with several additional parks or beaches in the Bay Area and along the Central Coast.
“We looked at visitorship and accessibility to the equipment,” said Sheryl Tankersley, an information officer for the California State Parks. “Some parks are more conducive to receiving Wi-Fi than others.”
Tankersley noted that trees, rocks and hills can interfere with reception.
“We wanted to make sure there was a clear path to the hotspot where people would be able to access the Internet wirelessly,” she said.
Both AT&T and the state parks spokespersons agreed that the Wi-Fi equipment does not distract from the beauty of the locations.
“In fact, the Wi-Fi access is invisible,” Tankersley said. “Visitors would only know by looking at our Web site or talking to someone. Its non-intrusive to the environment and the park experience.”
The launch of Wi-Fi access in California state parks started in January 2005, with San Elijo State Beach in San Diego and will include as many as 85 parks when it is completed in late 2007. SBC Communications, now the new AT&T after a November 2005 merger of the two companies, started the effort in California after successfully launching Wi-Fi access at Michigan State Park campgrounds during fall 2004.
“It has been helpful to the rangers themselves, having access to the Internet and coordinating with headquarters,” Tankersley said.
Wi-Fi access points, known as hotspots, allow people with wireless Internet cards in their laptops or personal digitial assistants to log on to the Web when they are within 50 to 150 yards of a hotspot. There are a variety of companies that offer hotspot access to customers for a fee in a variety of locations – from coffee shops to bookstores to fast food restaurants. AT&T is the only company that offers its service in state parks. Current AT&T DSL customers can purchase unlimited Wi-Fi access for $1.99 a month. Others can purchase different packages, starting at $7.95 for a day pass.
Visitors can access a limited number of state Web sites free at the parks, such as the www.dot.ca.gov site, which provides road conditions or www.gocalif.ca.gov, the state’s tourism site.
“It’s about convenience,” Baker said. “If customers are at the park and want to know where a concession stand is or where a part of beach is, that’s something we wanted to make available.”
The access points are set up in common areas, such as visitor’s centers, entry kiosks or ranger’s stations to make it convenient to most users.
“The one thing that is a bit unusual is campers with their laptops, as far as the electronic equipment,” Tankersley joked. “We have seen that people are glad to be able to access the Internet for driving directions, road or hiking conditions or just to connect with loved ones.”
It is too early for the park system to know if attendance has increased at locations with Wi-Fi access, but Tankersley said they will look at the numbers of visitors this summer, when most locations will have had access for a full year.
“People are so reliant on having things at their fingertips,” Tankersley said. “People want to be disconnected, but for those who want to stay connected, they now have that option.”
