Inside the most mysterious place in America where internet and cell service is illegal
There is a little-known mysterious part of America where internet and cell service is illegal.
Something as simple as using your smartphone for directions or tracking a work meeting in your phone calendar might sound like something you would take for granted.
However, in the town of Green Bank, West Virginia, those modern conveniences are banned by the government.
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Two YouTubers decided to investigate the area for themselves, visiting Green Bank, which is home to 143 residents, and documenting it for his subscribers.
Uploading the footage to their YouTube channel, Yes Theory, the group spent 48 hours in the area known as the ‘quiet zone’.
It might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie but in the town, all wireless devices, WiFi and even microwaves are really not allowed to be used.
The video took a deep dive into the reasoning behind the quiet zone, explaining: “In 1958, the US government banned any radio transmissions or service in this area to perform sensitive scientific research as well as National Security operations throughout various government facilities most notably known by the public by this machine - the world's largest rotating telescope playing a pivotal role in mapping what our galaxy looks like as well as in the search for extraterrestrial life.
“This observatory and area is certainly home to lots of mystery the locals who live here never had to adapt to life with internet and phone service as they never had it and may be one of the few places left on Earth, certainly in the west, living off the grid like this.”
In the video, the YouTubers met with locals who shared their own experiences of living in the mysteriously unplugged area.
When asked what his favorite part of living in the quiet zone was, one resident said: “Definitely the quiet, the outdoor lifestyle, the people, close knit community.
“A lot of nights by fire pits and that's quiet, it's easy to find yourself here.”
There are a number of rumors about the town, with particularly eerie one suggesting that there is a secret network of nuclear bunkers under the telescope.
And while having access to the internet is illegal, one resident revealed that there are ways to get it.
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.