High-speed internet service has made it to Mount Kilimanjaro, meaning 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 and aims to bring connectivity to the summit of the 19,300-foot mountain by the end of the year.
“Today … I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA,” Nape Nnauye, the minister for information, communication and information technology, tweeted on Tuesday. “Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.”
The new coverage is aimed at supporting tourism as well as safety.
Nnauye said it was previously “a bit dangerous” for visitors and porters to navigate the mountain without internet service, according to AFP. 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.
As an added bonus, climbers can now share selfies from the slope, and their friends and acquaintances can follow their journey in real-time (in case you didn’t think your FOMO was bad enough already).
