--- title: "Africa’s Tallest Mountain Gets High Speed Internet So Tourists Can Post Selfies" description: "Selfie Summit Tanzanian officials know why you want to climb the country's famed Mount Kilimanjaro. To witness the true glory of Mother Nature? No, no. To push yourself past your limits, ultimately to experience deep sense of pride and accomplishment? Nah. The Tanzanian government is clearly well aware that we're all just trying to do […]" date: "2022-08-20" modified: "2022-08-20" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/kilimanjaro-high-speed-internet" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "africa" - "broadband" - "social media" - "the digest" --- # Africa’s Tallest Mountain Gets High Speed Internet So Tourists Can Post Selfies ![In an effort to bolster tourism, Tanzania just finished building the first installments of a high-speed internet network at Mount Kilimanjaro.]() *A general view of elephants grazing with a view of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro in the background at Kimana Sanctuary in Kimana, Kenya, on March 2, 2021. - A turf war has erupted over a 180-acre avocado farm near one of Kenya's premier national parks, where elephants and other wildlife graze against the striking backdrop of Africa's highest peak. Opponents of the farm say it obstructs the free movement of iconic tuskers -- putting their very existence at risk -- and clashes with traditional ways of using the land. The farm's backers refute this, saying their development poses no threat to wildlife and generates much-needed jobs on idle land. The rift underscores a broader struggle for dwindling resources that echoes beyond Kenya, as wilderness is constricted by expanding farmland to feed a growing population. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Selfie Summit Tanzanian officials know why you want to climb the country's mighty Mount Kilimanjaro. To push your limits while witnessing the glory of Africa's highest summit? Nah. They know we're all just trying to do it for the 'gram, and they're in full support of that endeavor. *The Washington Post* [reports that]() in an effort to bolster tourism, the Tanzanian government just completed building the site's first installments of a high-speed internet network. As of Tuesday, connectivity now reaches 12,450 feet above sea level, and the government reportedly has plans to extend coverage to the mountain's Uhuru peak — an astonishing 19,291 feet above sea level — by the end of the year. "Today Up on Mount Kilimanjaro: I am hoisting high-speed INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS (BROADBAND) on the ROOF OF AFRICA," [tweeted Nape Moses Nnauye](), Tanzanian's minister of information and communications. "Tourists can now communicate worldwide from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro." ## Safety Server While installing high-speed broadband certainly benefits social media-happy climbers, the internet addresses safety concerns as well. An estimated 35,000 or so tourists flock to the mountain each year, [according to *The Guardian*]() — and even the most experienced climbers can run into trouble. "Previously, it was a bit dangerous for visitors and porters who had to operate without internet \[on Mount Kilimanjaro\]," Nnauye said at a celebratory event on Tuesday, [according to *Agence France-Presse*](). ## Connectivity Controversy According to *WaPo*, the local response to the government's decision has been mixed. Tourism is a huge part of the local economy — it raked in [$1.4 billion in revenue]() in 2021 alone, so many Tanzanians have welcomed the tourism-forward broadband. Others, however, believe that such investments should have [gone to Tanzanians]() living in rural, off-grid regions. Notably, the effort is [partially funded by China](), which has [invested heavily]() in infrastructure throughout parts of Africa in recent years. Clearly, though, the country chose to bolster tourism, one mountaintop selfie at a time. Soon, we'll all know exactly when our cousin's cousin or that random kid from high school reaches Kilimanjaro's peak. Post on, climbers. **READ MORE:** [*Mt. Kilimanjaro gets the internet, a gift to those climbing for the ’gram*]() **More on tourism:** [*Luxurious Submarine for Rich People Looks Just as Cool as a Space Vacation*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()