The 'silent' town: No Wi-Fi, no mobile phone signal for over 60 years.

Green Bank, a town in western Virginia, is known as the quietest town in America. It has rather peculiar laws prohibiting the use of electronic devices, yet it boasts some of the most advanced scientific equipment.

 

A place to observe signals from space.

In 1956, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory was established in Green Bank. Astrophysicist Frank Drake was one of the first in the world to use the telescope there to search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

 

Years later, this place was chosen to become a "silent zone" because of its sparse population in Pocahontas County and the surrounding mountains that shielded it from external waves. Later, many other radio observatories for observing the universe were built here. And to avoid signal disruption and interference, all types of waves that could affect the performance of scientific equipment are blocked here. This means that in this town there is no radio, TV, Wi-Fi, cell phone, or Bluetooth signal; even microwave ovens are not recommended.

The special truck

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope at Green Bank weighs 17 million pounds and spans approximately 2 acres. It can hear sounds from hundreds of millions of miles away. The area surrounding this important telescope is very tightly controlled to prevent interference from radio waves.

 

Within a mile around the telescope, spark-powered vehicles are prohibited because they can emit waves that interfere with the sound received from the galaxies, so only diesel engines are allowed. Workers on the telescope use walkie-talkies on specific frequencies to communicate with each other.

A Dodge Ram pickup truck with massive omnidirectional antennas mounted on its roof, housing a receiver, Doppler system, and spectrum analyzer, patrols the town area. This vehicle is capable of detecting sources of radio frequency interference from cell phones, microwave ovens, wireless devices, or arc discharge lines… that could disrupt sound from the outside environment.

 

Within the observatory grounds, there are approximately 25-30 staff members living in the residences. All staff members residing there must sign a pledge to refrain from using wireless devices and microwave ovens. Violators face legal prosecution.

Additionally, satellite beams and radar-equipped aircraft are prohibited here due to the potential for interference.

Life for the people in Green Bank

The town's residents still have their own radio channel and a landline telephone, with internet access, either dial-up or Ethernet cable service.

The residents of Green Bank lead simple lives and are not at all bothered by the lack of Wi-Fi and TV. They even dislike the idea that the secret of their town might be revealed, as it could attract crowds and disrupt their peaceful lives.