China's three major telecommunications carriers have partnered with Huawei Technologies to bring next-generation 5G network services to the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile announced that they have deployed several 5G base stations on the famous Himalayan Mountain, making it the highest point on earth where 5G is available.
The 5G base stations were placed at various points at elevations above 5,300 meters above sea level. Huawei had unveiled details about the historic installations in a post on Weibo on Monday, followed by a confirmation by a spokesperson a day after. The deployment, albeit likely a marketing stunt, is still a huge milestone for the companies involved as it reflects the possible reach of the technology described to be the backbone of China's digital future.
China Mobile, currently the world's largest wireless network operator, stated that the project highlighted its ability to face extreme challenges. The deployment will also serve as a solid foundation for the company's development of making 5G a core technology for segments such as tourism and scientific research.
The effort made by the three carriers is aimed at showcasing their continued commitment to pushing with the immediate rollout of 5G mobile services throughout the country. As of last year, more than 160,000 5G base stations have been deployed throughout China, covering more than 50 major cities.
The network operator detailed in a post on Weibo that it had installed three 5G base stations at two camps within the mountain. The camps are located at an altitude of 5,300 meters and 5,800 meters. With the radio access gears, visitors at both camps will be able to get internet connections with download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.
China Mobile stated that it will be installing two additional base stations by the end of this week. The new base stations will be placed in another cap at a higher altitude of 6,500 meters above sea level. The base stations will be close enough to the summit of Mount Everest that those on top will be able to get a signal.
China Telecom also confirmed its involvement in the project on Tuesday, stating that it had installed base stations at different locations in partnership with state-run China Television. The endeavor was broadcasted through a 24-hour live-streaming program that reportedly had more than six million viewers.
More than 150 people were reportedly involved in the ambitious undertaking. Most of those of were involved were also tasked in upgrading existing telecommunications infrastructure in the surrounding areas, which included the installation of 25 kilometers of new optical cables along the mountain.
