Mount Everest (Sagarmatha), the highest mountain in the world, has always been a popular destination for adventurous tourists and climbers. However, the harsh environment and remote location pose many challenges for communication and network services. The scenario is going to be changed now as the tourist base camp and hotel on Everest have been upgraded with an FTTR-B network, thanks to joint efforts of China Mobile and Huawei.
The FTTR-B network, based on Huawei’s Fiber-to-the-Room Business solution, will provide ultra-gigabit Wi-Fi services for the staff and tourists at the tourist base camp (on the northern side of Everest), which is located at an altitude of 5,200 meters. The network can also support voice, video, and data services, as well as cloud applications.
Every day, personnel at the tourist camp’s administration office must check environmental protection devices, send down high-resolution images and videos, and log in to the Mount Everest Administration Bureau. Problems such as frame freeze, delayed video upload, and document sending failures were common due to poor network circumstances. The successfully constructed high-speed FTTR-B network significantly improves network conditions, allowing all workers in the tourist base camp and guests in surrounding rest spots to enjoy premium Wi-Fi services.
The FTTR-B network has also been installed at a tourist hotel in a nearby town at an altitude of 4,200 meters. In the past, the hotel guests and staff often faced network issues, such as frame freezing, no network connection, and poor check-in system response, which affected their experience and efficiency. Since the deployment of the FTTR-B solution, up to 300 hotel guests may access high-speed Internet simultaneously, and the hotel reception staff can work much more smoothly.
In 2024, China Mobile and Huawei have planned to extend the FTTR-B solution to the climber base camp, where climbers prepare to reach the summit of Mount Everest. This will enable climbers to enjoy gigabit network services at the top of the world.
