Mount Kilimanjaro installs internet so travellers can use wifi while climbing

Mount Kilimanjaro has installed high-speed internet so travellers can use wifi while climbing. Photo / Unsplash

Travellers climbing Mount Kilimanjaro can now share their journey on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok thanks to the installation of high-speed internet on the mountain.

As of Tuesday, Africa's highest peak now has high-speed internet, set up by the Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation.

Located in Kilimanjaro National Park, the mountain is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site and a major attraction for tourists and mountaineers around the world.

Tanzania's minister of information, communication and information technology, Nape Moses Nnauye, fittingly celebrated the launch with a post on Twitter.

"Today Up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA," Nnauye wrote.

Today Up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA. Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. WE ARE GOING TO UHURU PEAK 5880 Meters Above Sea Level!#royaltourcompliment #royaltour pic.twitter.com/jXqGoWCBjU

— Nape Moses Nnauye (@Nnauye_Nape) August 16, 2022

"Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. WE ARE GOING TO UHURU PEAK 5880 Meters Above Sea Level!"

Many travellers will no doubt enjoy being able to share their climbing adventure with the world via social media. However, Nnauye said installing the ICT infrastructure was not just to enable sharing on Instagram or Twitter but safety.

At 5900 metres, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is not without risks or challenges. Internet connection, according to experts, can make the experience safer.

For this reason, locations like Mount Everest base camp have wi-fi.

At the Tuesday launch, Nnauye said climbing Mount Kilimanjaro had been "a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet".

Service will be extended to the very top of the mountain by the end of the year according to AFP.

Attracting thousands of travellers each year, the mountain plays a key role in Tanzania's tourism.

The installation of internet services was acknowledged by the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian on Twitter. China has recently provided loans and investment agreements to help the Tanzanian government establish more ICT infrastructure.