The National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) is a large area of land in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

designated as a

radio quiet zone A radio quiet zone is an area where radio transmissions are restricted in order to protect a radio telescope or a communications station from radio frequency interference. The Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) d ...

, in which

radio transmission Radio is the technology of telecommunication, communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

s are restricted by law to facilitate

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...

and the gathering of

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...

. About half of the zone is located in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

of west-central

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

while the other half is in the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

of east-central

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

; a small part of the zone is in the southernmost tip of the Maryland panhandle.

Location

The Quiet Zone is an approximate rectangle of land, on the north edge, on the south edge and on the east and west edges, comprising approximately . It straddles the borders of

and

, and also includes a small part of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. The NRQZ is centered between the Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, and Sugar Grove Station in Sugar Grove, West Virginia. It includes all land with latitudes between 37° 30′ 0.4″ N and 39° 15′ 0.4″ N, and longitudes between 78° 29′ 59.0″ W and 80° 29′ 59.2″ W.

Restrictions

Most

broadcast transmitter A broadcast transmitter is an electronic device that radiates radio waves modulated with information content intended to be received by the general public. Examples are a transmitter, radio broadcasting transmitter which transmits Sound, audio (s ...

s in the central area of the Quiet Zone are required to operate at reduced power and use directional antennas. This makes

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

and

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

essential for acceptable television in much of the region. Restrictions of transmissions are strictest within of the Green Bank and Sugar Grove facilities, where most omnidirectional and high-power transmissions are prohibited. Not all radio transmissions are prohibited in the Quiet Zone. For example,

emergency service Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety, security, and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while oth ...

(police, fire, and ambulance) radios and

CB radio Citizens band radio (CB radio) is a land mobile radio system, a system allowing short-distance one-to-many bidirectional voice communication among individuals, using two-way radios operating near 27 MHz (or the 11-m wavelength) in the high freq ...

s are permitted. However, owners of high-power transmitters, including television stations in the Harrisonburg– Staunton and

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

markets, must coordinate their operations with the Green Bank Observatory. The only broadcast radio stations in the core of the Quiet Zone are part of the Allegheny Mountain Radio network, with one

daytimer A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...

AM station in Frost, West Virginia, ten miles from the observatory, and low-powered FM stations in Monterey, Virginia and Marlinton, West Virginia. Exceptions to restrictions are usually determined case by case, with preference given to

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...

concerns, such as for remote alarm systems,

repeater In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Some ...

s for emergency services, and

NOAA Weather Radio NOAA Weather Radio (NWR), also known as NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, is an automated 24-hour network of Very high frequency, VHF Frequency modulation, FM weather radio stations in the United States which broadcast weather information direct ...

. The most severe restrictions to the general public are imposed within a radius of the Green Bank Observatory. The Observatory polices the area actively for devices emitting excessive

electromagnetic radiation In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a self-propagating wave of the electromagnetic field that carries momentum and radiant energy through space. It encompasses a broad spectrum, classified by frequency or its inverse, wavelength ...

such as

microwave oven A microwave oven, or simply microwave, is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces Dipole#Molecular dipoles, polar molecules in the food to rotate and ...

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

access points, and faulty electrical equipment and asks people to stop using such equipment. It does not have enforcement power (although the FCC can impose a fine of $50 on violators) but will work with residents to find solutions.

Cellular telephone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

use in the central area of the zone is also very restricted. However, the observatory has pulled back on Quiet Zone enforcement, and locals have increasingly embraced the usage of microwave ovens, cellphones, and WiFi.

The Green Bank resident and high school teacher had a microwave. She had a smartphone. She had Wi-Fi. She knew where to get a cell phone signal. “It’s not like we’re living some bohemian lifestyle,” she told me. Such was hardly a secret. A house across the street from the observatory had Wi-Fi with the network name “Screw you NRAO,” an unsubtle middle finger to the observatory’s calls for quiet. Green Bank’s health clinic had Wi-Fi. So did the senior center. “We’re not supposed to,” said John Simmons, the county’s director of senior programs and a former county commissioner, “but I think all that stuff about the noise levels is fabricated.”

In 2019, the Green Bank Interference Protection Group was picking up about 175 hotspots within two miles of the observatory.

Zones of protection

The Green Bank Interference Protection Group maintains policies to manage radio-frequency interference (RFI) by dividing into five zones based on available legal instruments. The National Radio Quiet Zone Administrator at the Green Bank Observatory manages the enforcement policies. Zones 1 and Zone 2 are located within the property of the Green Bank Observatory. The entire property is designated ''Zone 1'' except small portions (such as housing, visitor, and laboratory areas) that are designated ''Zone 2''. Zone 1, the ''Radio Astronomy Instrument Zone'', restricts intentional radiators to those that are deemed essential. All unintentional radiators must be operated within the recommendations on protection criteria used for radio astronomical measurements. Gasoline-powered motor vehicles are prohibited in Zone 1 as their spark-ignition engines generate significant radio interference, resulting in the requirement that all vehicles and equipment be diesel-powered. Zone 2, the ''Observatory Building Zone'', allows intentional radiators licensed by the National Radio Quiet Zone but not other radiators such as Wi-Fi,

cordless phone A cordless telephone or portable telephone has a portable telephone handset that connects by radio to a base station connected to the public telephone network. The operational range is limited, usually to the same building or within some shor ...

s, and other wireless equipment. Certain types of unintentional radiators are allowed.

Digital camera A digital camera, also called a digicam, is a camera that captures photographs in Digital data storage, digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film or film stock. Dig ...

s are prohibited, although

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

photography is allowed. Zone 3 and Zone 4 are governed by the Radio Astronomy Zoning Act, Chapter 37A of the West Virginia Code. It strictly regulates radio transmitters within of the Green Bank Observatory. Zone 3, the area within , has the greatest restriction; it is surrounded by Zone 4, in which progressively greater emissions are allowed at greater distances. Within these zones, interference to observations are identified and documented. The owners of the offending equipment are visited personally to request cooperation in eliminating the interference. Enforcement is used as a last resort. Enforcement in Zone 4 may be more lenient than the limit set by Chapter 37A. Zone 5 is the outermost part of the National Radio Quiet Zone.

Uses

The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) created the Quiet Zone in 1958 to protect the

radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna (radio), antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the r ...

s at Green Bank and Sugar Grove from harmful interference. Today, the Green Bank Observatory oversees the Quiet Zone. The Quiet Zone also protects the antennas and receivers of the U.S. Navy's Information Operations Command (NIOC) at Sugar Grove. The NIOC is the location of electronic intelligence-gathering systems and is today said to be a key station in the

ECHELON Echelon may refer to: * A level formation ** A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society ** A military sub-subunit smaller than a company but larger than a platoon ** Echelon formation, a step-like arrangement of units * ECHELO ...

system operated by the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...

(NSA). The area has also attracted people who believe they suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, though scientific experiments have shown this condition is caused by the

nocebo effect A nocebo effect is said to occur when a patient's expectations for a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would have. For example, when a patient anticipates a side effect of a medication, they can experience that ...

rather than electromagnetic waves.

Counties inside the NRQZ

Maryland counties

* Extreme southern Garrett

Virginia counties

:''See also List of radio stations in Virginia, which includes several AM and FM stations within the zone.'' * Western Albemarle * Alleghany * Amherst, except for the southern quarter * Extreme northern Appomattox * Augusta *

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

* Extreme northern

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

* Northern Botetourt * Northwestern

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of ...

* Northern Craig * Western Greene *

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

* Western

Page Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young m ...

* Rockbridge * Rockingham, except for a small area in the extreme eastern part * Western Shenandoah

West Virginia counties

:''See also List of radio stations in West Virginia, which includes several AM and FM stations within the zone.'' * Barbour, except for a small area in the north * Extreme eastern Braxton * Grant, except for an area in the north * Eastern Greenbrier * Southwestern

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

* Hardy * Southeastern Harrison * Eastern Lewis * Extreme southern

Mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

* Northeastern and east central Monroe * Extreme eastern

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

* Pendleton *

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...

* Two areas in extreme southwestern and southeastern Preston * Randolph * Extreme southern Taylor * Tucker, except for an area in the extreme northern part * Upshur * Central and eastern Webster

Cities inside the NRQZ

Virginia cities

* Buena Vista * The western half of

, including much of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

grounds * Covington * Harrisonburg * Lexington * Staunton * Waynesboro

West Virginia cities

* Buckhannon * Elkins *

Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...

Outside

Clarksburg, West Virginia Clarksburg is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 16,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, tenth-most populous city ...

, and

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner and Abolitionism, abolitionist John Lynch (1740–1820), J ...

, are just outside the Quiet Zone.

References

External links

* Official website
"The Town Without Wi‑Fi"
' Washingtonian'' (January 2015)
"The Town Where Wi-Fi Is Banned: The Green Bank Telescope and the Quiet Zone"
ouTube (October 2016) {{coord, 38.375, -79.5, display=title United States communications regulation Communications in West Virginia Electromagnetic compatibility Mass media in West Virginia Radio regulations 1958 establishments in West Virginia Communications in Virginia Mass media in Virginia 1958 establishments in Virginia 1958 establishments in Maryland Communications in Maryland Mass media in Maryland Garrett County, Maryland Federal Communications Commission Radio astronomy