Tanzania has installed high-speed internet on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, underpinning plans to improve connectivity in the world’s wildest areas.
The project was carried out by the state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation. The corporation installed the broadband network at an altitude of 3,720 metres on Tuesday.
Tanzania’s information minister, Nape Nnauye, called the event historic and pledged that the 5,895-metre peak would have access to internet connectivity by the end of the year.
“Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet,” Nnauye said at the launch of the service, flanked by government officials and tourists.
Mount Kilimanjaro is still an important source of income for tourism in Tanzania and neighboring Kenya. Every year about 35,000 people try to reach the summit.
The latest move follows Tanzania’s government’s plans to build a cable car on the mountain’s south side, but the announcement infuriated mountaineers, expedition companies and environmentalists.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheGuardian.