High-speed internet service has been set upon Mount Kilimanjaro.
The advance in technology means that climbers can now use their phones to help with navigation and post on social media as they ascend Africa’s tallest mountain.
The state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation installed the broadband network last week at an altitude of 12,200 feet. The plan is to bring connectivity to the summit of the 5,700-metre mountain by the end of the year.
The new coverage is aimed at supporting tourism as well as safety.
It was previously “a bit dangerous” for visitors and porters to navigate the mountain without internet service. An estimated 35,000 people attempt to summit Kilimanjaro each year, though about a third are forced to turn back due to altitude sickness and other issues.
Kilimanjaro isn’t the first — or the tallest — mountain to offer service to adventurers. Nepal’s Mount Everest has had 4G mobile connectivity since 2013 and fiber-optic broadband since 2017.
