Ncell, the Nepalese subsidiary of Swedish carrier TeliaSonera installed a 3G base station at 5,200 meters - and the signal reaches the peak at 8,848 meters. So now you can climb to the top of the world…and still get a telephone call. Wow.

This is a wonderful use of technology…and an abysmal failure too. Of course, if you’re a lost or trapped climber…then having the ability to make a cell phone call for help…well that’s terrific. Though it’ll be the strangest 911 call ever. But the opposite is true. The majestic peak of Mount Everest is now no longer a refuge from today’s modern world. Yup, you could climb for weeks, be one of a few thousand to reach the summit…and as you marvel at the expanse of the world before your eyes….ring, ring…you’d get a call. Seems to taint the experience a bit.