The Tanzanian government has completed the first phase of a high-speed Internet network project on Mt Kilimanjaro, which is a major source of tourism revenue for the East African country.
“Today up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed Internet communications (broadband) on the roof of Africa,” Tanzania information and communication minister Nape Nnauye tweeted recently.
The country wants to extend coverage to the Uhuru peak at 19,291 feet by the end of 2022.
Nnauye said the Internet will also help tourists communicate in case of an emergency.
“Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without Internet. All visitors will get connected [up to] this point of the mountain,” he said.
About 35,000 people visit the mountain every year, but the number dropped since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to the Big Smoke.
The rollout of the Internet is part of a government project called the National ICT Broadband Backbone, which is being financed in part by China.
It takes about a week to reach Mt Kilimanjaro’s snowy peak.
Mt Everest, the highest mountain above sea level, also provides WI-FI to climbers for sharing photos and emergency calls.
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