If you're having trouble streaming live content on your current 3G network, a trip to Mount Everest might be in order… Seriously!  Huawei Wireless Networks and China Mobile recently demonstrated their newly installed 4G wireless technology from the world-famous mountain, from an altitude of 5,200 metres. In one of the more unusual networking events of our time, the two companies showed off their new LTE TDD 4G deployment by streaming live HD video from Everest. And while the event certainly was one of novelty and excitement, it goes well beyond just that. In deploying the 4G technology, Huawei Wireless and China Mobile have now made it possible for climbers to send back images of their ascents and descents. The technology could also be used to help in emergency situations by allowing rescuers and doctors to evaluate conditions remotely. The addition of the Everest 4G network further opens the door for greater scientific exploration based on real-time data transmission. Who knows what we could learn with access to instant communications from one of the world's most remote and unforgiving places. The access to real-time data could prove invaluable at so many levels.

How It Started

Bringing wireless communications to Mount Everest began in 2008 when China Mobile and  Huawei Wireless Networks worked together to establish global system for mobile (GSM) communications for the 2008 Summer Olympics. One leg of the Olympic torch relay took the flame to Everest summit, symbolising the years of hard work it took to bring the Olympics to Beijing. The complications of such a feat required the availability of wireless communications every step of the way. The 3G GSM coverage established by China Mobile and Huawei Wireless paved the way for the latest LTE TDD project. According to Huawei Wireless president David Wang, his company intends to work with others around the world to bring 4G wireless communications to remote areas where standard wired technology is not possible or practical. His company has already deployed 4G technologies in Africa, Asia, Western Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, and Russia. In the Mount Everest region, they have deployed a number of support technologies as well, including transceiver stations and microwave transmitters. As for the future of communications at Mount Everest, there's no reason to believe the technology will not keep pace with what's going on in the rest of the world. Mount Everest gives new meaning to the ‘cloud’, while the accomplishment made there opens the doors to establishing LTE TDD deployments just about anywhere. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before we start seeing deployments at the poles, in the deepest recesses of the Amazon and elsewhere. The most exciting part of emerging wireless technologies is the fact that they are making the world a much smaller place. Instant communications are erasing the boundaries that have kept the world separated for so long. It is truly remarkable to see what advancements in technology are allowing us to do.