Mount Fuji: Japanese Government Offers Free WiFi In Nature

When hiking up a mountain, it might not just be to test your limits or to be closer to nature. It could also be to check your Facebook, email or surf the web, in genearl. At least, this might be the case for some hikers after they've made the trek up Japan's Mount Fuji, a snowy mountain that's more than 12,000 feet above sea level. Now, anyone making the climb will also have WiFi availability, thanks to the Japanese government.

Wireless carrier, NTT Docomo Incorporated worked with Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures to set up eight different locations along the mountain that will provide free Internet, including the summit, according to a news release. (However, it's important to remember that the free Internet service will only be available for use on a device for three days before it expires.)

"We hope people will use the service not only to tell about the attractions of Mount Fuji to people abroad but also to obtain weather and other information to ensure their safety," a government official said, according to the Asahi Shimbun, a local newspaper. Last year, 285,000 people visited the peak during climbing season.

Of course, this is not the first mention of bringing WiFi to the wildness. In 2014, Canada announced plans to install up to 20 WiFi setups in national parks. And then, let's not forget that many parks come with areas to connect to your laptop, smartphone, tablet and other mobile devices.

To find out more about how WiFi or 802.11 networking works, check out this link, courtesy of howstuffworks.

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