High speed internet access reaches Mt. Everest
Baku, October 29 (AZERTAC). Nepalese operator Ncell has announced the installation of equipment for the operation of mobile communication three generation (3G) on the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest, RIA Novosti reports.
Nine base stations of cellular networks has begun operating on the mountain since Thursday. The lowest of them is near the airport Lukla at an altitude of 2,870 meters above sea level.
Home base station for 3G network has been installed at a height of 5,200 meters above sea level near the village of Gorakshep.
3G-speed connections will be up to 3.6 megabytes per second, possibly will be increased up to 7.2 MB. For the time being, the service on the mountain is meant for a maximum of 50 subscribers to work at the same time, however, the network capacity can be enhanced in the future.
Besides, on Thursday, as part of testing, a video call was made at the highest altitude -5,300 meters, from which climbers begin the final stage of the ascent of Mount Everest.
Specialists believe that theoretically it is possible to provide mobile communications on the world`s highest summit, though the coverage has not been tested yet.
Hundreds of climbers try to subdue the top of Mount Everest every year. However, it is not so economically to justify the construction of 3G-network in the highlands. But besides competitors, tens of thousands of tourists come to the highlands of Nepal yearly. 3G-networks will enable tourists to get constant access to the Internet, have the ability of sharing large files, make calls abroad at cheaper rates than offering satellite communication.
“3G-Internet will provide tourists and people living in the Khumbu valley with faster and more affordable telecommunications services,” says Lars Nyberg, head of Scandinavian telecommunications company TeliaSonera, which owns 80% of Ncell company.
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