Technological Marvel: Internet Services Set Up At 12,000 Ft On Mt Kilimanjaro

Pic courtesy Daily News Tanzania

Zanzibar: Around 35,000 mountaineers attempt to climb the 5,895-metre tall (19,341 feet) Mt Kilimanjaro every year.

Now, the tech savvy climbers will have an added incentive to scale the highest peak in Africa as Tanzania has installed high-speed internet services on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, AFP reported.

Any of the mountaineers with a smartphone can share photos of their ascent on Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp or other social media platforms, now that the state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation has set up the broadband network at an altitude of 3,720 metres (12,200 feet).

“Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without Internet… Now all visitors will get connected… (up to) this point of the mountain,” Information Minister Nape Nnauye said during launch of the service at the Horombo Huts, one of the camps en route to the peak.

By the end of 2022, the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro will have internet connectivity, the minister added, calling it a historic event.

Mt Kilimanjaro is an important source of tourism revenue in Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya.

The mountain is part of a national park as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Technology has already infiltrated the world’s highest peak Mt Everest, where climbers have access to Wifi, power generators and smartphones that enable sharing of photos and SOS calls if there is an accident.