Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has called on the government to establish cell towers at the Everest Base Camp (EBC). In his open letter addressed to the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Sharma requested the government to enhance technology to the peak.
To put it into context, Sharma reached Camp 3 (7,162 meters) at the EBC. However, due to the adverse weather conditions, he, along with other mountaineers, couldn’t summit Mount Everest, which stands at 8848.86 meters. As he returned to Camp 2, he wrote this second letter to the Prime Minister calling for more digital technologies, especially cellular infrastructure at the base camp. Actually, Sharma called on higher government presence with its digital infrastructure at the popular tourist destination.
But it is not that the EBC lacks mobile service penetration. It’s the issue with wide availability. Both Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell provide 3G and 4G services at various sections leading to the base camp. However, the problem is that the network performance deteriorates as adventurers traverse towards the higher regions at the base camp. It’s also the highest base camp in the world, stretching 5,364 meters. There are even plans to install Free WiFi service at the Everest Base Camp
Sharma wants more reliable mobile service from the government’s cell towers at EBC
“In this age of technology, there is not a single government-owned communication tower in the beautiful lap of nature, the base camp,” Sharma wrote. He added that the cellular networks available at the Base Camp and Camp 2 are neither owned by the government nor within the government’s reach.
He also shared that foreigners who reach the base camp cannot immediately share their excitement with their friends and family due to the lack of ubiquitous mobile signals.
Sharma said that the upcoming budget for FY 2082/83 should have a program to establish the government’s telecom tower (NTC) to connect the Himalayan region, where tourists from all over the world come to visit.
Sharma satirized that there is a nice telecom tower at Gorakshep (5,164 meters) on the way to the EBC. But it’s only good to take selfies, not for providing coverage.
“Through the Honorable Prime Minister, I would like to request the Minister of Communications to immediately erect a tower in Kala Patthar (5,643 meters) and make arrangements for it to strategically cover the geographical area at the base camp and nearby areas,” Sharma pledged.
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Mobile sovereignty at the Everest
Sharma also highlighted the need for cellular independence at the Everest Base Camp. He said that those who reach the peak of Mount Everest have time on their mobile phones “controlled automatically”. “It is useless to issue a statement that ‘their tower has invaded,” he remarks. He suggests that it should be the Nepal government’s duty to establish towers and strengthen their coverage capacity.
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“The government should pay serious attention to this sensitive issue without delay,” He declares.
You can read his open letter to the PM at this link.
