UK climber Rod Baber has successfully made his record-breaking GSM cell phone call from the Mt. Everest peak. Motorola sponsored him to make an attempt and he managed to make the call from 29,035 feet above sea level in temperatures of -30 degrees where oxygen is almost nonexistent.
The call can be heard, “Hi, it’s Rod making the world’s highest phone call. Its cold, it’s fantastic, and the Himalayas are everywhere.” He also sent a text message from the summit, using his MOTO Z8 GSM mobile handset.
Now, the world’s highest peak receives mobile phone coverage due to a phone mast installed at the base camp in Rongbuk by China Telecom. He had cell phone batteries taped to his body to ensure they’d stay warm enough to function. Baber was of course equipped with an oxygen mask, but had to remove it to make the call.
The climber began climbing the Everest on 15 May and placed the call on 21 May. He made two calls, one to let his wife and children know he was OK and another for publicity purposes. The phone call was made to a special voicemail account and the text was sent to John Barlow of Motorola Inc. The calls had to be kept short to stop Baber passing out of oxygen.
“Everest symbolizes the greatest challenge to any climber. To reach the summit and achieve world records with Motorola is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My MOTO Z8 has totally enhanced the experience up here, giving me the added confidence and peace of mind to know that friends, family and even help were just a phone call away,†expressed Rob Baber from Everest Base Camp.
It was thanks to the new cell phone towers in China that recently added reception that reached the high peak. When Rob called, he described the view, his feelings and what he would do once he was back down at base camp.
