Kathmandu (PTI): Climbers may soon be able to converse on their cellphones from Mt Everest, with Nepal's state-run telecommunication firm planning to install mobile network facilities near the world's highest peak.
Nepal Telecom will install a satellite antenna in Gorak Shep, located at an altitude of 5,160 metres, to extend the cellphone service on top of the world.
Mobile phone services may be available on Mt Everest (8,848m) through both GSM and CDMA handsets, according to officials of Nepal Telecom (NT).
"We are planning to commence the service by mid-June this year," Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, chief of NT's satellite division, told local media website myrepublica.com.
"We hope it will provide an alternative to those currently relying on satellite phone services such as the one provided by Thuraya," he said.
NT has installed satellite antennas in around seven locations in the Mt Everest region, including Lukla and Namche Bazar, located at 2,800 metres and 3,440 metres above sea level, according to the official.
These antennas can manage services to around 3,000 calls at once, the official said, adding "the capacity will be increased depending on the traffic in the region."
NT currently has around 2.8 million cellphone subscribers across the country.
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