The Manitoba (Canada) government is taking a step towards potentially introducing fees for wireless internet services offered at Birds Hill, Winnipeg Beach, and Falcon Lake Beach in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
As per a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, campers relying on wireless internet offered by the Manitoba government to stay connected while visiting the three provincial parks could face new fees to get online.
Currently, the government provides Wi-Fi services to campers staying overnight at these parks, and the cost of the data usage is recovered through a surcharge in reservation fees.
However, the government is now considering outsourcing the Wi-Fi services to a telecommunications company.
In its request for proposals, the Manitoba government stated that it is open to new billing and payment structures and is looking for a hands-off system for its staff.
The winning company would be responsible for hardware installation and maintenance, 24/7 customer service, and handling all connectivity issues.
The government wants to promote the Wi-Fi services but leave the day-to-day operations to the service provider.
According to the province, the highest demand for Wi-Fi was recorded in 2020, when campers at the three parks used 4,531 GB of data.
According to the request, the province is also considering expanding Wi-Fi service to campgrounds in St. Malo Provincial Park, Grand Beach Provincial Park, and campgrounds located at Falcon Lakeshore and West Hawk.
The province aims to complete an agreement with the new service provider by April.
I’m really intrigued by the idea of Manitoba’s provincial parks introducing charges for Wi-Fi services. I wonder how campers will cope if they have to pay. It makes me curious about how these changes could affect the camping vibes and visitor happiness at those parks.