Communications man, what on earth have you done to Everest?

Do you still remember the 5G "cloud supervisor" of Wuhan Leishenshan and Huoshenshan hospitals that witnessed China's speed? Some people say that nothing was done this year, just witnessing history. Do you know what the historic moment in April was? That is that there is 5G on Mount Everest! Yes, you read that right, 5G network can really be used on Mount Everest!

On April 21, China's three major telecom operators announced successively that they had achieved full 5G network coverage at the Mount Everest Observation Deck and Mount Everest Base Camp.

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China Telecom: Unprecedented, 24 hours of Mount Everest under VR lens!

China Telecom has built a 5G base station at Camp 1 of the Everest Base Camp (5145.3m above sea level) and launched a 5G network. On-site tests showed that the uplink and downlink speeds reached 700Mbps and 223Mbps respectively.

China Mobile: For the first time in the world, China Mobile's 5G signal will cover the top of Mount Everest!

China Mobile has laid 25 kilometers of new optical cables in the high-altitude and cold areas of Mount Everest at altitudes of 5,300 meters, 5,800 meters and 6,500 meters, and built and opened three 4G base stations and five 5G base stations.

China Unicom: The Olympic flame once illuminated the top of the world, and now Unicom 5G covers Mount Everest!

China Unicom used 4/5G equipment to fully complete the installation, commissioning and network optimization of two 4G base stations and two 5G base stations at the Mount Everest Observation Deck and Camp 1.

The three major operators have combined 5G and cloud networks to bring us "Cloud Climbing" following "Cloud Supervision". With 4K high-definition images and slow live broadcast from a VR perspective, ordinary people can appreciate the majestic and magnificent view of the top of the world from the best perspective without leaving their homes, watch the sunrise and sunset, the clouds rolling and unfolding, and gain an immersive experience as if they were there.

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Mount Everest, also known as Mount Qomolangma, means "Mother Earth" in Tibetan. With an altitude of 8,844.43 meters, Mount Qomolangma is the highest peak in the world. There are rare and magnificent seracs and steep cliffs everywhere, which are full of dangers. It is the goal that many mountaineering enthusiasts at home and abroad pursue and challenge throughout their lives.

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Who would have thought that the development of 5G would bring us only a screen away from the sacred Mount Everest that generations of people have risked their lives to climb? 5G has truly shortened the distance between everyone and the distant and mysterious Mount Everest. At the same time, Mount Everest 5G will also provide better network services for future mountaineers and scientific expedition personnel, provide scientific information support for the development of Mount Everest tourism, and fully demonstrate the smart future of China's 5G industry applications to the world.

We admire the magnificence of Mount Everest and marvel at the powerful future of 5G technology, but at the same time, have you ever thought that Mount Everest is very different from our daily living environment? The air there is thin, and most people will have altitude sickness when they reach about 2,700 meters. There are blizzards all year round, the lowest temperature is -60℃, and the average temperature throughout the year is -29℃. It is the third pole in the world besides the South Pole and the North Pole.

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What kind of challenge would it be to build a 5G base station in such an ultra-low temperature, high altitude and low pressure environment for the physical strength and willpower of frontline communications personnel?

During the entire construction process, all engineering and technical personnel could only work in the extremely cold outdoors, trying their best to overcome the physical limits caused by the high altitude and lack of oxygen, while focusing on field surveys and researching and formulating suitable 5G network coverage plans.

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Mount Everest belongs to a national nature reserve. In order to protect the ecological environment and reduce pollution, large equipment cannot be used in the construction area. Therefore, the entire network construction process, from material transportation to entry and exit for construction, is incredibly difficult.

Since Mount Everest cannot be reached by vehicles, several tons of optical cables, antennas, auxiliary materials and other construction materials can only be moved to the camp by the most primitive method of carrying on shoulders, pulling by hand or carrying on oxen. It takes eight hours to climb from 5,300 meters to 5,800 meters alone, and it takes two days to walk from the 5,800-meter base station to the 6,500-meter base station.

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At the same time, the extremely changeable weather on Mount Everest also greatly increased the difficulty of building the station. Sometimes the construction was originally ready, but was forced to be shelved due to a sudden snowstorm. There are only a few sunny days on Mount Everest, and only by seizing the two-month window of April and May can the construction be successfully completed.

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Moreover, transmitting 4K high-definition and VR signals back from Mount Everest is a huge test for network speed, equipment stability and communication personnel. In order to ensure that the network is always unobstructed and not to affect everyone's viewing experience, after the base station is opened, network maintenance and optimization personnel still need to stand at an altitude of more than 5,300 meters in winds of more than ten levels, drink ice water melted from ice cubes, and insist on being on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hard work is unimaginable.

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Do you think this is the first time that Chinese communications personnel have attempted to reach Mount Everest?

Of course not. The story of how Chinese communications workers showed the greatest confidence and determination to implement communications network coverage on Mount Everest can be traced back to 60 years ago.

• In 1960, my country's mountaineering team hoisted the five-star red flag on the top of the world. In order to cooperate with my country's mountaineering team's first climb to Mount Everest, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications sent radio operators to accompany the team to provide wireless communication support.
• In 2003, my country's mountaineering team used the Internet to make a phone call at the summit of Mount Everest and announced the good news via text message.
• In 2007, my country built the 6,500-meter base station on Mount Everest.
• In 2008, the Beijing Olympic flame reached the summit of Mount Everest for the first time. Xinhua News Agency released the first photo of the Olympic flame relay on Mount Everest to the world. It was successfully transmitted back from the top of the earth through the 2.5G GPRS network, becoming a feat that refreshed the history of world mobile communications.
• In 2009, my country's 3G signals covered Mount Everest.
• In 2013, my country's 4G TD-LTE launched a 4G network at the Everest Base Camp.

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This time, the communication people climbed the highly anticipated Mount Everest with the powerful 5G, adding another historic highlight to the communication people's Mount Everest story. Generations of communication people have never stopped climbing to the top, because when danger occurs, network signals will become the most timely and effective life-saving tool to connect with the outside world, and build a bridge of life full of hope for people in desperate situations. Communication people use their own extreme challenges and take on social responsibilities. It is precisely because of such a group of people that the top of the world has Chinese signals step by step!

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Do you still remember the sigh of Zhuo Ga Lamu, a Tibetan girl who used 5G signals to live broadcast the construction of base stations on Mount Everest? "Before I climbed Mount Everest, I thought this job was no big deal. But when I really climbed Mount Everest and witnessed the hard work of the staff with my own eyes, I realized that it was really amazing!" Yes, people who have not experienced it personally really cannot imagine and understand it.

In fact, in every corner of our lives, there are communication people who travel through mountains and rivers, work all night, and go all out to build and maintain networks. On the roof of the world, communication people are braving the cold wind and blizzard, drinking water melted by ice and snow, and working hard to the limit of their body and mind... These seemingly ordinary but actually great and moving moments are as shocking as the magnificent and precipitous scenery of Mount Everest. All of this will go down in history with 5G!

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Communications people have created the history of 5G climbing to the top of Mount Everest. History has witnessed the hardships and difficulties of generations of communications people, and also witnessed their success and greatness. Nothing is difficult in the world as long as you are willing to climb. 5G has climbed to the top of Mount Everest, and we should also pay tribute to all those who have the courage to climb to the top for the communications industry!