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3G now available on Mount Everest

by Mike Schramm Oct 29th 2010 at 5:00PM

Happen to be climbing Mount Everest in the near future? Take heart -- you can probably use your iPhone there now. Provider Teliasonera has reportedly installed a 3G antenna at the base camp of Everest, connecting the remote location to a modern cell phone network for the first time. Previously, climbers had to use satellite phones to stay in touch with the rest of the world, and according to Reuters, the summit is still off limits -- the highest video call was made from an elevation of about 17,388 feet, which is where most climbers begin their journey to the summit at 29,035 feet.

Unfortunately, your iPhone will still have to be roaming -- while TeliaSonera has been running iPhone-specific services in Europe and elsewhere in the world, the iPhone hasn't officially launched in Nepal yet. Even though it'll probably cost a ton in charges, you can now call in from Mount Everest's base camp. Now about the actual climb...



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Happen to be climbing Mount Everest in the near future? Take heart -- you can probably use your iPhone there now. Provider Teliasonera has...
 

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Anthony.cooper

I was at Base Camp on the Tibetan (Chinese) side earlier this year and had full signal - crazy when I've only got 1 bar now in my lounge!

November 06 2010 at 4:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JDavila

Great for Telia-Sonera, and BTW the BTS (base transmitter station) was provided by Huawei Technologies... How about AT&T thinking on buying from them? Oh, wait... AT&T won't buy from any non-US company, right?

October 30 2010 at 11:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Talal R

While climbing the mountain, "Oh my gosh, I'M ALMOST TO THE TOP!" *Facetime with Gf* "Hey honey! I'm almost to the top of Mount Eve- Wuh, wuuh, woooh!!!" *splat*

October 30 2010 at 1:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SIP

"Teliasonera has reportedly installed a 3G antenna at the base camp of Everest"

Nothings is sacred anymore, and every beauty spot in the world is being spoilt by technology. At least some environmentally-aware networks are now installing antennae that look like real trees...

October 29 2010 at 8:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
uzerzero

"Hi Mom, it's me. Guess where I'm at? No, I'm not at dad's, I'm on top of Mount Everest!"

October 29 2010 at 7:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brian Cassidy

@Jonathan ... read the article. It's not AT&T that put the tower up. If you had problems with the iPhone, why didn't you return during your trial period? That's what I would have done if my much-beloved iPhone if it didn't work where I frequented.

October 29 2010 at 7:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jonathan Leavitt

Mt. Everest? That's great! Now if only we could get consistenly working 3G service from AT&T in Berkeley, California.

October 29 2010 at 6:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Jonathan Leavitt's comment
SIP

Teliasonera methinks is a Swedish company -- the report does say it operates various services in Europe -- perhaps AT&T should partner-up with a European network to learn how it's done! ;–)

October 29 2010 at 8:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sparks

A shame it wasn't Verizon, simply because the mental images that could've spurred. Imagine the Verizon guy on a cliff somewhere on Everest and murmuring through half-frozen lips as he slowly succumbs to hypothermia, "C-can you h-hear me n-now..."

:P

October 29 2010 at 6:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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