TeliaSonera subsidiary Ncell has just completed installation of a 3G base station at 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) that will reach the 8,848-meter peak of Mount Everest. Mind you, we’ve already seen a cellphone call made from the world’s highest peak using a temporary base station in a Motorola publicity stunt. This time, however, it’s permanent and faster allowing climbers to surf the internet or make 3G video calls. Why would Ncell want to build a base station in such a sparsely populated area? Because it is there.
I’ve finally run out of excuses for not climbing Everest. Oh, Wait…
That’s the Matterhorn in the European Alps.
McStarbuck$ next?
3G is not WiFi.
Well, if we are dumping all over McCullough today, that guy in front of the Matterhorn is the front guy for (that other company).
Everest is not real mountaineering or climbing. It’s no walk in the park but the corporate nature has ruined it.
More lameness added to a sacred mountain. Way to go mankind!
3G is WiFi if your using a MiFi card
O’Really==can you be more specific for those of us who don’t know: why is climbing Everest not real mountaineering or climbing? What puts the scaling of this peak a corporate activity? Do you think mountains are sacred? by extension, all mountains would be sacred then–isn’t that the best location for any antennna?
and so forth.
Yeah, quit cyber-bullying me. It hurts my feelings.
in the morning
McCullough is another US citizen who had a window seat in school, THAT’S THE MATTERHORN you douchbag!!!
since we have google maps, it’s really easy to find that out!
in the morning
Ah, seen one mountain, seen em’ all.
Hi everyone. I’m reporting from the top Mt. Everest. Nice view, but after looking around there’s nothing much to else to do… although I see someone has started building an Internet café. Must be the the guy I passed on the way up, lugging some planks and a tool box. A cup of ‘joe’ and a chair would be nice right about now…
Pedro,
Everest is a corporate venture. You have to hire a “guide” company. The you pay your $60,000+ for a “permit” then you pay a Sherpa to carry your shit up the mountain, lay fixed rope (to make sure you’re safe), lay out your camp for you, tote your oxygen to the death zone, then carry your lazy ass down the mountain after you’ve pushed your already taxed an unprepared body past the point of survival.
It’d be like asking Monet to hold your hand and paint a nice impression on some canvas then claim that you’re a great “artist”.
It’s sacred to Buddhist and Hindus.
Sorry for the typos in the above post.
Good. Now they can email their last wills back home.
While Everest may not be the most technically challenging climb, it is still dangerous as hell. I imagine it must be something like fighting a war from an entrenched position. You have the bodies of others laying about while you are expected to continue onwards, not knowing if you will make it back. There’s the bodies of the dead laying all over that mountain.
There are guides that have a no-fatality record, but thats a far cry from a guarantee, and furthermore, nobody is promised a chance to summit. Lots of folks pay to get to the top and simply can’t make it. It’s not called the death zone for nothing. Everybody who summits is in grave risk of death if they don’t get down quickly.
That said, I think its cool to have internet access up there.
They have a wonderful gift shop up there.
Just think, Mt. Everest got free Wi-Fi before the Bellagio.
Ya know I don’t always want to be in touch.
Can you hear me now?
Who will send the first lame tweet from Everest?
#9 said, “Ah, seen one mountain, seen em’ all.”
That’s so true. Stand them on their head and they are all sisters.
So I guess their will be no “dropped” calls? Ha Ha
It’ll be like the airport. You’ll have to login with your Facebook account every ten minutes and leave a javascript timer window running.
Geocities is long in the grave but we still have have crappy javascript clocks.
This is cool and will allow us to follow climbers better.
The main downside is that it may bring more people on the mountain who shouldn’t be there. There are way too many of those already.
The Nepali government should not allow anyone to summit the mountain until they have done a previous expedition to take trash off the mountain.
But they won’t — Everest is a cash cow for Nepal.
I’ve spent about eight weeks in Nepal and highly recommend it — especially the hiking. Just don’t be an ugly tourist.