The Ministry of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands has developed different mobile phone coverage maps in the Timanfaya National Park, with the aim of "knowing the most accessible areas of this environment for all operators".
The Minister responsible for the Area, José Antonio Valbuena, explained that the objective of these works, which have consisted of a walking tour of the entire park with four specialized sensors, “is to improve the signage of the park that requires data download (QR code) and take measures regarding the management of public use, safety and prevention of occupational hazards in management and research work".
The Ministry points out that thanks to this action "the signal intensity of each operator and the shadow areas where no company can offer coverage have been georeferenced." Tests were also carried out to upload and download video, audio and text files to the web, taking as a reference the scientific work carried out in this protected environment of Lanzarote.
After the analysis carried out, the Ministry indicates that three maps have been created. The first focuses on network availability and the best coverage areas of the park. The second will allow the location of beacons and QR codes for intelligent signage. The third map will identify the most suitable places for uploading data to the network. In fact, this last tool has recently been used to locate the installation of photometers that measure light pollution in the park. In addition, it can also be used for uploading meteorological, geodynamic or seismic data, as well as for any other application for studies of flora, fauna and volcanology that are used in the park.
The personnel assigned to these tasks traveled 229.65 kilometers, in which 74,313 measurements were taken from a total of 37,383 points, both inside the park and in the main accesses and surroundings.
