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Tanzania’s government just announced that Africa’s tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, has been equipped with high-speed wi-fi for tourists and climbers.
The high-speed wi-fi service was set up by the Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation and installed last week on the continent’s tallest peak.
Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Communication and Information Technology, Nape Moses Nnauye, shared the announcement in a tweet last week.
“Today Up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA. Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. WE ARE GOING TO UHURU PEAK 5880 Meters Above Sea Level!,” the translated announcement from Nnauye says.
Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro gets internet hookup
The high-speed wi-fi service was installed at an altitude of 12,200 feet, with plans to reach the 19,300-foot summit by the end of this year.
It’s estimated that 35,000 people attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro every year. However, only two-thirds are successful due to altitude sickness and other health problems that cause climbers to turn around.
Not only is high-speed wi-fi useful for documenting climbs on social media, there is also a safety aspect in having reliable wi-fi service for climbers.
“Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet,” Nnauye said.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain and is actually a dormant volcano.
Popularity of the mountain is bound to increase with the wi-fi installation, which for a country that relies heavily on tourism is a welcomed benefit. According to the World Bank, tourism was the largest foreign exchange earner for Tanzania, second largest contributor to the GDP, and third largest contributor to employment in the country.
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