Mobile phone users 'on top of the world'

The last phone-free sanctuary has just been conquered: in a stunt to promote mobile messaging, three companies have joined hands to provide a mobile phone service up the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest.

China Mobile, one of the largest cellular operators in the mainland, has set up a temporary wireless network on the mountain to allow progress of an upcoming expedition to be documented via SMS (Short Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

Handset maker Motorola will provide its 388C MMS-enabled handset for message transmission while a third partner Sohu.com, a China-based Net firm, will provide content services such as exclusive reporting on its website.

Besides seasoned mountaineers, Charles Zhang, president and CEO of Sohu.com, will also participate in the company-sponsored climb in May, Sohu.com said in statement.

"He will use SMS and MMS throughout the journey to report on the expedition," the firm added.

While mobile coverage can be boosted by adding base stations, this is one of the first attempts to bring wireless technologies up to such great altitudes.

A spokesman for China mobile said: "Generally, wireless operating equipment can only work below a height of 4,000m. China Mobile is the first carrier to bring wireless applications to a level above 5,100m."

Future alpinists hoping to tap into the Everest mobile network will be disappointed as this is a temporary publicity stunt and will not be commercially launched.