Huawei and China Mobile have joined forces to deliver 5G connectivity to the summit region of Mount Everest, the highest peak on Earth.
The teams installed a 5G base station at an altitude of 6,500 metres, extending China Mobile’s dual-gigabit network into some of the planet’s most extreme terrain. Additional base stations were set up at Everest Base Camp (5,300 metres) and Transition Camp (5,800 metres) to create continuous coverage along key points of the mountain.
A team of around a dozen specialists will be present across the three camps at all times to monitor and maintain the network, ensuring stable operation in harsh weather and low-oxygen conditions.
The 5G deployment will support a planned remeasurement of Mount Everest later this year. Researchers believe the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015 may have reduced the mountain’s height by roughly three centimetres. The currently recorded elevation of Everest stands at 8,848 metres.
By providing high-capacity, low-latency communication, the 5G network will facilitate the scientific and logistical needs of the remeasurement effort, enabling real-time data transfer, remote coordination, and reliable communication between field teams and research centres.
At Everest Base Camp (5,300 metres), users benefit from measured 5G download speeds exceeding 1.66 Gbps and upload speeds above 215 Mbps, offering connectivity performance comparable to many urban deployments despite the extreme environment.
Huawei deployed specialized 5G cameras to deliver high-resolution visual data to climbers, scientists, and support staff, helping experts gain better insights into the mountain’s environment. The network also makes immersive live virtual reality experiences possible, allowing remote audiences to observe operations and natural conditions in near real time.
Huawei’s Massive MIMO technology contributes to the dependable coverage required for this project. The company reports that Massive MIMO performs especially well on Everest thanks to its ability to form flexible, three-dimensional narrow beams, which enhance signal focus and vertical coverage in mountainous terrain.
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