First Cell Call in the World

On May 21, 2007, Rod Baber placed a 1-minute, 48-second phone call. 

He called a voicemail account to leave a message, a move that cost him $4.72. 

By all accounts, Baber’s call was much like millions made from cellphones every day — except that the renowned British climber was standing on the summit of Mount Everest. 

Using a Motorola Rizr Z8, Baber made the call at 29,035 feet, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for “highest mobile phone call.” 

The feat was made possible by China Telecom, which had set up a cell tower at the base camp on the mountain’s north side. Baber also called his family and sent a text to a Motorola employee: “One small text for man, one giant leap for mobilekind.”

Since Baber’s historic phone call, Everest’s cell service has kept up with the times. In 2013, Everest received 4G service so climbers could livestream the view from the summit. 

In 2020, the mountain got the 5G upgrade, which offers 20 times more capacity at one-third the size. That means that if you want to find some excuse to unplug from work, “climbing Everest” might not be a good one.