World's Highest WiFi Network Puts Everest Base Camp Online

Thanks to the Nepalese telecom company Ncell, climbing the remote cliffs that dot the roof of the world is no longer a good excuse for failing to respond to emails. Ncell has brought 3G service to the Mount Everest base camp, allowing climbers and hikers to check their email and make phone calls without using bulky satellite phones.
"This achievement is as mighty as the altitude as 3G high speed internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services to the people living in the Khumbu Valley, trekkers, and climbers alike," Lars Nyberg, chief of the Swedish telecom company TeliaSonera, told Reuters.
While still more expensive than a regular phone call, the new voice and data service on Mount Everest costs less than the cumbersome and pricey satellite communications that visitors relied on before. Once the network became operational, the CEO of Ncell wasted no time trying it out, and, dialing from 17,388 feet up, quickly made the world's highest phone call.


Ncell is a joint venture between TeliaSonera and local Nepalese investors. Currently, much of Nepal, South Asia's poorest country, languishes without high speed data communications infrastructure. Ncell hopes that bringing phone and Internet service to even the remote peaks of the Himalayas can serve as the first step towards wiring the rest of the Nepal.