Cell service OK’d at Mount Rainier National Park

SEATTLE — Cellular service will soon be available in Mount Rainier National Park after the National Park Service granted permits to two wireless carriers to install equipment at the park’s heavily used visitor center.

The park service said Tuesday it approved permits to Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile to protect visitor and employee safety and to improve communications in the Paradise area, on the south slope of Mount Rainier, located about 100 miles southeast of Seattle.

There are currently no cellular installations in the park. It’s not clear yet when service would be activated, officials said.

Park officials said no towers would be built so the area’s scenery will be preserved. The companies’ equipment would be located in the attic, below the roofline, of the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. The equipment will be enclosed behind wall panels on the gable ends of the building.

AT&T has submitted an application and also may be added, park officials said.

The proposal set off a debate about whether people enjoying the park and surrounding wilderness areas should have access to calls, Facebook, Instagram and other technology while communing with nature.

Some said cell service would improve safety and convenience for visitors. Others contend phones would distract from the natural beauty of the area.