Nepalese telecoms firm Ncell, owned by Swedish company TeliaSonera, has made it possible for climbers of Mount Everest to make calls or surf the Internet using its 3G network.
The company installed eight base stations along the route to the Everst base camp. The highest 3G base station is near the Everest base camp at 17,000 ft. Ncell head Pasi Koistinen said the coverage would reach the summit of Everest but said it has not been tested yet.
Climbers and trekkers in the region have had to rely on voice-only mobile coverage or satellite phones depending on location. Ncell said the new coverage will help thousands of tourists that visit the Everest region ever year.
It will enable climbers to stay in touch with family and trip organizers, and to get weather and safety information updates easily. Since Edmund Hillary first conquered Everest in 1952, approximately 3,000 people have followed in his footsteps.
TeliaSonera has announced it will invest over $100 million in the next year to boost mobile coverage in Nepal, where less than one third of the population have access to telecommunications services.
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