Tanzania Kilimanjaro gets fast internet

Tanzania: Kilimanjaro gets fast internet

(CNN) — Climbers climbing Mount Kilimanjaro can now document their climbs in real time on Instagram after Tanzanian authorities recently attempted to install high-speed internet on the mountain’s slopes.

Located in northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak at over 19,000 feet (almost 5,900 meters).

The broadband service was set up by Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation and launched on Tuesday, the information ministry said.

“Today on top of Kilimanjaro: I’m lifting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) to the ROOF OF AFRICA. Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the top of Kilimanjaro. WE ARE GOING TO UHURU PEAK 5880 meters above sea level!” tweeted Nape Moses Nnauye, Tanzania’s Minister of Information, Communications and Information Technology, .

Nnauye said it was unsafe for tourists to climb the mountain without an internet connection.

Technology plays a big role in mountaineering today.

Aside from the thrill of uploading climbs to social media in real-time, experts have found that the internet connection is useful for increasing climber awareness and guiding their climbs. “It used to be a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet” on Kilimanjaro, Nnauye said at Tuesday’s launch, adding that internet service will be extended to the top of the mountain by the end of the year, reported AFP World Heritage Site and provides part of Tanzania’s tourism revenue. Thousands of adventurers climb Kilimanjaro each year, many attempting to reach the summit, according to a popular tour guide. The deployment of internet services on Kilimanjaro was welcomed by the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian.China is jointly funding efforts by the Tanzanian government to provide broader access to ICT infrastructure.

Picture above: A view of Mount Kilimanjaro from the Satao Elerai Conservancy in Kenya. (Roger de la Harpe/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)