China Mobile has opened a wireless service center and Internet cafe at an altitude of 17,000 feet at the Everest base camp, making it the world's highest such site, according to People's Daily Online.
According to reports, the Internet cafe is aiming to effectively protect the Olympic torch relay teams' communications needs at Mount Qomolangma in Tibet. China Mobile has built a business office and Internet cafe at an altitude of 5,200 meters at Mount Qomolangma base camp to provide mobile services and Internet services to government officials, mountain climbing members and journalists.
Maybe they'll add an oxygen bar for out-of-shape journalists with underdeveloped hemoglobin.
You'd think that once you hit the summit of Mount Everest you might be able to count on at least a few incommunicado moments. Not these days.
British climber Rod Baber set a world record Monday for the highest-ever land-based mobile phone call and text message, according to Motorola, which is sponsoring his climb. He called from 29,035 feet at 5:37 a.m. local time using his Motorizr Z8.
Rod Baber
(Credit: Motorola)Baber, who set out for Kathmandu on March 30 with a global team of climbers, made his first call to a special voice mail account. "It's cold, it's fantastic, the Himalayas are everywhere," he said. "I can't feel my toes. Everyone's in good spirits. We got here in record time. It's amazing."
He then made a second call to his family and sent a text message to a Motorola employee: "One small text for man, one giant leap for mobilekind--thanks Motorola." China Telecom made the achievement possible by setting up a mobile phone tower at base camp on the north side of the mountain.
Baber--managing director of an aerial adventure center in the U.K.--already holds a world record for reaching the highest point of every European nation, according to his moblog. An audio clip of his record-breaking Everest call can be heard on that site.
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