Mount Kilimanjaro: Africa's highest mountain gets high-speed internet

Video-calling family or posting a social media update from one of the world's highest mountains has just become a lot easier after high-speed internet was installed on Mount Kilimanjaro.

At 5,895 metres tall Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain.

Around 35,000 people attempt to climb the mountain in Tanzania, each year.

Now, Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation has set up a broadband network more than halfway up the mountain, at an altitude of 3,720 metres.

Internet access is expected to be made available at the summit by the end of the year.

Officials hope the internet access will attract more tourists but also make the mountain safer to climb with better communication between visitors and porters who work there.

"Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet," said Nape Nnauye, the country's information minister at the launch.

Mount Kilimanjaro isn't the first peak to get its own broadband connection.

In 2020, data masts were installed on Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, so that people could get internet connection from the summit.

Back in 2015, WiFi was also installed on Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji.