Mount Everest base camp gets 3G access
updated 01:45 pm EDT, Fri October 29, 2010
Ncell brings first 3G connection to Mount Everest
Nepali telecom company Ncell has set up the first 3G data connection at the base camp of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain at 29,035 feet. According to a Thursday report, the installation will help climbers stay in touch with loved ones, who thus far had to rely on expensive satellite phones. Base camp is located 17,388 feet above sea level.
The company said its facility now allows fast web surfing, sending e-mails and video clips and making calls that are much more affordable than those made from satellite phones. In 2011, the company said it will invest more than $100 million to expand facilities in Nepal to bring mobile coverage to over 90 percent of Nepal's population. Thus far, only about a third of the 28 million residents have access to a wireless network.
Ncell is a joint venture between local investors and the Swedish carrier TeliaSonera, which owns 80 percent of the company.
