We weren’t familiar with Mt Everest.

But we were ready to conquer it.

August 2007

As a product test manager, I was assigned to handle on-site installation and commissioning. Plans were made to build 2G networks on Mt Everest at 5,200 meters and 6,500 meters.

3,000 meters up at base camp

Altitude sickness, headaches and lack of oxygen were making our team ill. An engineer suffered from nosebleeds for two straight days. I was lucky I was only suffering from mild altitude sickness.

38% oxygen levels

Windspeeds were 50 meters/second and the temperature was nearly -40˚C. Ice beneath our feet would crack into deep chasms, and the weather was unpredictable. Low oxygen levels meant we could only progress little by little each day.

-50˚ C environment

The only sound around us was the howling of the wind. It was so cold, our laptops couldn’t work properly. My eyebrows and hair were frozen. We had 8 tons of equipment with us, including optical fiber, power supplies and structures.

Human strength

As our altitude rose above 5,800 meters, our yak partners could no longer help us. Nearly 6 tons of optical cables were carried by workers all the way to 6,500 meters above sea level.

Dec 2007 at 6,500 meters

Equipment preparation was crucial to dealing with the unpredictable weather at this altitude. Equipment had to be reinforced, the modules had be kept separate. Eventually in the middle of winter 2007, the first Mt Everest base station came online.

At 6,500 meters above sea level, today’s digital connectivity on Mount Everest is easy to take for granted. Yet, Mt Everest remains the highest, most dangerous mountain on Earth. Locals living by the mountain can connect with the world, and adventurers can be assured of being contactable, even at the top. We’re thankful our mission to connect the highest mountain on Earth worked out, even if it gave all of us a real workout.