Get ready to make mobile calls from Mt. Everest!

Topnews ^ | April 22, 2009 | Darpana Kutty

[Loyalist]

Good news for mountaineers preparing to climb Mt Everest is that they may soon be able to make calls using their mobile phones, from Mt Everest. Yes, the Nepal's state-run telecommunication firm – Nepal Telecom (NT) is gearing up to set up mobile network in the proximity to the highest mountain peak of the world. Nepal Telecom (NT) is set to install a permanent cell-tower near Mt. Everest.

The Nepal Telecom’s mobile network will help the climbers to make calls using their GSM or CDMA throughout their mountain climbing adventure on the Mt Everest.

According to Nepal Telecom, a satellite antenna will be installed in Gorak Shep, located at an altitude of 5,160 metres, and the satellite antenna will extend the cellphone service to the top of the Mt Everest (8,848m). The mobile network could be available on Mt Everest through both GSM and CDMA handsets. The mobile network will be able to handle about 3,000 phone calls at the same time, but “the capacity will be increased depending on the traffic in the region”.

Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, chief of NT's satellite division, said, “We are planning to commence the service by mid-June this year…. We hope it will provide an alternative to those currently relying on satellite phone services such as the one provided by Thuraya.”

The Nepal Telecom has set up satellite antennas in around 7 locations in the Mt Everest region, including Lukla and Namche Bazar, located at 2,800 metres and 3,440 metres above sea level. Currently, NT has around 2.8 million mobile subscribers in the country.

[Loyalist]

From a safety perspective, it's perfectly reasonable.

But for the love of God, will there be nowhere left on Earth we can go to avoid people yakking on their cell phones?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well, the peak of Mt. Everest is the ultimate place to put a cell tower.

[Red Badger]

I'm Bill Kurtis, and I just found The Internet.........On top of Mt. Everest!...............

[Red Badger]

I guess the Yeti have a large need to "keep in touch".............Can you hear me now?...................

[bert]

In the recent issue of Forbes there is a long article on the firm Irridium. That company already has global phone coverage and is currently working on data. Your laptop will be connected everywhere.

[Travis T. OJustice]

I thought they went bankrupt years ago, and were dumping their satellites. Then i read the US military was basically keeping them afloat. They’re back in force now? Hmmm.

[Le Chien Rouge]

[angkor]

Gorak Shep consists of the two "tea houses" (guest house/food joint) shown below. That's it. Nothing more.

Behind the house on the right are lots of stowed-away ladders and piles of snow stakes used in Everest ascents through the Khumbu Icefall (the bottom of which can be seen just up and right of the houses). There's no point in taking them down any further since they're used every year.

In fact I "slept" one night on a pile of snow stakes in the house at right because there was no available bed or cot remaining. Uncomfortable to say the least.

This is not my photo, but it's a good one.

[Dr. Ursus]

911 will be the most popular number!

[Sig Sauer P220]

Its about damn time. I’m tired of using a pay phone when I’m at the top of Mt. Everest.

[Larry Lucido]

Ever try to get change? I usually have to bum it off of a frozen person.

[IronJack]

Oh great! Now every silver-plated tourist with a Cricket can call from the summit and tell the wife he will be a little late for dinner because he’s suffering from cerebral edema and advanced frostbite.

[count-your-change]

Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

[Sig Sauer P220]

Ever try to get change? I usually have to bum it off of a frozen person.

I usually walked back down to the bottom of Everest, got change, then went back up to the top and made the call. Thank goodness I won't have to do THAT anymore.