Most people cannot imagine spending a day without their phone constantly glued to their hand.
Smartphones have everything we need, and we now often rely on them to get us through the day.
We track our work meetings in our phone calendar, use our maps app for directions, every contact or service we could need is right at our fingertips.
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But there is a town in the US where all of those things aren’t available - in fact, they’re illegal!
Green Bank, West Virginia, is home to 143 residents and is a place where WiFi and other wireless devices are banned.
It’s considered to be a quiet zone, so no updating Instagram when you visit the area, it’s a town that is completely free from phone signal and radio airwaves.
But why?
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It’s well known that airplane mode is needed on flights to avoid interference from things like WiFi, and the same idea is relevant in Green Bank.
There’s a large telescope located there and other scientific equipment from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory so wireless devices could infer with the important kit if used within the zone.
A new documentary, Small Town Universe, has been released to explore the town and its rumored secrets buried under the mountain.
One eerie rumor circulating the town suggests that there is a secret network of nuclear bunkers under the telescope.
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According to the Daily Mail, the film's director, Katie Dellamaggiore, said: “The town's unique, unplugged lifestyle immediately caught my attention.
“It was even more intriguing that scientists use the Green Bank Telescope to explore some of science's biggest mysteries, like how the universe began and whether there's intelligent life beyond Earth.
“The residents of this tiny Appalachian town aren't connected in most modern ways, but over time, I observed a more profound connection they shared, bonded by the pursuit of scientific knowledge.”
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The film director revealed that during her time working on the documentary, she found herself relying on her own phone less and less, and now relishes in the peace.
However, despite the tranquility a WiFi-free zone might bring, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to enforce the rules in Green Bank.
Locals are demanding more access to modern technology, putting the local quiet zone under threat.
Dellamaggiore added: “While I understand the desire for access to common-place technology, it's disheartening to think that one of the last intentional quiet zones may soon become a thing of the past. We should strive to preserve this unique place on Earth.”