SANParks Considering Cutting Cellphone Reception in Kruger Park

[Richprins]

There is an exhaustive database of accidents here:


viewforum.php?f=338

Someone can do a study of how many happen during daytime and in cellphone range, and how many involve tourists...

[Peter Betts]

True that There is minimal coverage , True that there is overcrowding . True that there have always been idiots long before Cell phones ..

My cellphone like my car radio gets switched off at the entrance gate. I go to Kruger etc to get away from keeping my face in a device . I look for my own animals and I dont want the Boss in JHB calling me same with customers

Cell phones are a Major disruption especially in the south where Latest Sightings app is one of the main drivers of speeding and congestion and road rage and carbon Monoxide poisoning at sightings .. Ban the cellphones and OSV radios and miraculously Moz Taxis will disappear too and paoching may decrease too. Even the LSightings boss was caught speeding to a sighting after a Tinge hit his device. Go look for your own sightings , Smell the soail after first rains , Talk around the fire instead of Facebooking , smell the Buffalo droppings when parked in the midst of a 1000 strong buffalo herd . Sightings boards area waste of time due to naughty people populating the Pins just to be naughty..... I do that too as a laugh if say I go see a ranger in a remote post way off tourist roads and I see a rarity ..I pin it back in camp as technically thats where I saw it

This idea if implemented wont affect me at all

[Mel]

Same here, Peter Going to the park to get away from it all, and especially social media too

Excellent counterattack, RP! You even have me convinced even though I'm a purist and don't believe in cell phones in a park.
In the KTP you are even further away from a camp or some other sort of "help" when in a difficult situation. And I haven't heard
of any serious consequences / fatalities so far.

But still, I agree with SP using the wrong arguments to fend their idea of curbing cell phone reception.

[Lisbeth]

Sanparks has the courage to say that they are considering cutting cellphone reception What about the so often mentioned "Please, contact immediately...... etc.? And the snares? How many animals have been saved by tourists calling to alert the rangers?

and this case:

A Swiss tourist died during the accident. Ironically cellphone reception played a massive role in alerting authorities and medical rescue to this tragedy as quickly as possible, which is the point. The incident happened out of cellphone range but obviously the app used for social media enabled the message to get out as soon as the first witness could reach signal.

As far as I know, the tourist died in hospital and it could have been the case that he could have been saved with help arriving fast, which is not possible without cellphone reception.

I am not in favour of "Latest Sightings" but I am against being completely cut off from the world, if something serious should happen.

[graham]

For arguments sake, lets accept for now that cellphones are being used for rhino poaching. Then

Sightings apps - they don't post these images or sightings so this can't be the problem
Forums - no locations are given and the largest forum is under Sanparks control. Again can't be the problem
FB - to trawl through FB to find images would be a total wast of time
Spotters posing as visitors - quite possible and for communication where there is more than one vehicle working together, but cellphones can easily be replaced with 2 way radios for communication between vehicles and images can be uploaded outside the park.

So without any further information from Sanparks, I have to reject that they want to cut cellphone coverage to combat rhino poaching.

.... this is in my opinion a simple brutish attempt to continue the war against Latestsightings, as SP want a cut of their Youtube revenue.

There is no way cellphone reception can be cut, it is illegal.

Is this a personal view or is there more substance to support it?

If this is correct, then there is probably enough in the regulations on photography and filming to counter it. (And xx better watch out before attempting any more live streaming from waterholes )
More so, Sanparks have the resources to set up a sightings app of there own. They have the brand and access to customers. If done properly, LS will soon fade into oblivion. Load the app at the gate, emergency numbers all there, get weather forecasts for the region you are in, notifications of road closures, a reminder when gate closing times change ...... a lot of possibilities.

[Alf]

Reading through all these i just can't wonder how people with an emergency will get hold of a doctor.

Thinking back at the incident where a kid was bitten in the face by a hyena at Balule and the parents phoned Phalaborwa and informed the doctor they are on their way.

Imagine they don't have any signal and the doctor goes home. The time it would take him to get back at his office it could cost the kid his life

[graham]

Alf, I can't believe they will try to cut all coverage 24hrs. There will be a total outcry. You can't overcome spillage from around the park but I guess they could replace coverage in camps with wifi (having limited range) and possibly disable it during the day. Anyway, I think most are agreed that this is not the answer to the problem as given by Sanparks.

[Richprins]

Is this a personal view or is there more substance to support it?

If this is correct, then there is probably enough in the regulations on photography and filming to counter it. (And xx better watch out before attempting any more live streaming from waterholes )
More so, Sanparks have the resources to set up a sightings app of there own. They have the brand and access to customers. If done properly, LS will soon fade into oblivion. Load the app at the gate, emergency numbers all there, get weather forecasts for the region you are in, notifications of road closures, a reminder when gate closing times change ...... a lot of possibilities.

Assuming you are talking about the revenue aspect, graham, the timing of the attack on latestsightings regarding reporting snares and emergencies, then bringing in poaching, then speeding and whatever else they can think of is just not a coincidence. I've dealt with SP for many years and their entire mentality at TOP level revolves around moneymaking. Your next points about why they don't start their own App is brilliant, as it would be relatively inexpensive and they would have the market cornered, employ young community members etc.!

But they won't make money, you see. At least not without a lot of time and effort and that does not suit the outsourcing mentality.

Demanding a cut from revenue is far easier indeed!

[graham]

Thanks RP

The outsourcing business model is very dangerous. I'm always reminded of a cartoon many, many years ago of a CEO with his secretary (didn't have PAs in those days) sitting on two crates in the middle of a huge empty building saying "I think we took this outsourcing too far"

Oddly though this is one of the non-critical aspects that could be outsourced. But I guess then it needs to go to tender and tick all the BEE and gender boxes, do the community development and who would want to get involved with all that red tape.

I guess this is an entirely different topic and explains many of the problems including permanent tents in campsites for private operators and pop-up luxury camps (and did we ever find out where that was?). I wonder if they get a cut from the Moz taxis?

[stefan9]

Total bs. Fix your traffic control Sanparks. That is the issue not the technology..Much to blame ls,social media,ect though.

Also if we take away cellphones, sanparks issues don't get exposed as fast...

Tech is there to enhance my enjoyment of the park.. I need to stay connected at all times..