Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management
    • Mobile

    Mount Everest Now Boasts 3G Coverage for Climbers, Locals

    By
    Nicholas Kolakowski
    -
    October 30, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Mount Everest is now wired for voice and data, courtesy of Swedish telecom company TeliaSonera and Ncell, its Nepalese subsidiary. Ncell plans to extend mobile coverage to the majority of the country’s population by the end of next year.

      The 3G base stations in the Everest area-including one located at 17,000 feet-would give climbers the ability to place calls without a satellite phone, as well as surf the Web. TeliaSonera claimed in an Oct. 28 press release that calling rates would be cheaper than for “the average satellite phone.”

      “We are very proud to announce the world’s highest mobile data service as we launch 3G services in the Mount Everest area in the Khumbu valley,” Lars Nyberg, president and CEO of TeliaSonera, wrote in an Oct. 28 statement. “From its perch on the world’s tallest mountain, 3G high speed Internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services to the people living in the Khumbu Valley, trekkers and climbers alike.”

      Nyberg added: “This is a great milestone for mobile communications, and strong evidence of TeliaSonera’s pioneering role in this industry that is truly changing the lives of billions of people.”

      Less than one-third of native Nepalese have access to telecommunications, according to TeliaSonera, up from around 15 percent in 2008. The company plans on investing an additional $100 million to expand the country’s mobile coverage to 90 percent of the population by 2011.

      Some 30,000 people visit the region every year, according to the Associated Press. Of those, hundreds climb at least some of Everest’s intimidating slopes. Having 3G coverage could potentially help climbers react more quickly to the mountain’s potentially hazardous shifts in wind and weather.

      Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa climber, were the first to officially reach Everest’s summit in 1953. They carried ice axes and oxygen tanks but nothing capable of running an app.

      Pasi Koistinen, Ncell’s CEO, claimed in a BBC article that coverage would extend to the top of Everest’s 29,029-foot peak. However, no climbers have verified that fact, at least not yet. That’ll have to wait until the first person posts a Facebook or Foursquare update from the top of the world.

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×