Mount Everest is 3G enabled!

Well what can I say about this. The highest point on earth, mount Everest, is now 3G enabled. The 8848 meter high peak will get 3G signals from eight base stations set-up at a height of 5200 meters. The 3G network has been set-up by Nepalese telecom group NCell. NCell is a subsidiary of Swedish telecom giant TeliaSonera.

If mounting the highest peak was the most admirable human achievement, enabling technology and being able to make a phone call or video conference from the highest peak is a technological marvel. There are absolutely no limits to what man with technology can do. Now climbers to Mount Everest can use GPS to navigate uphill. On the flipside though, there isn’t a place which technology cannot pervade. If it was the broadband and tablets in a bus the other day, then it is Mount Everest being wired today.

Since 3G has reached one of the most hard to reach place on earth, there is no excuse for India’s rural 3G penetration. India, which will see the private sector participation in 3G later this year, should take this as an inspiration and roll out its 3G services. There might not be a comment or an argument such as “we cannot layout the infrastructure” or “these are hard to reach places”. If there is, we know where to guide them.

PS: Now you can take your Samsung Galaxy Tab on your next trek to Himalayas. That would help Samsung eat some of the iPad sales.

[Img via Flickr user Deltef Rook]