Brit makes world's highest mobile call

Brit climber Rod Baber has succeeded in making the world's highest mobile phone call - a 40-second chat from the top of Everest, news agencies report. The call, made on a Motorola Z8, officially took place at 8,848 metres in temperatures of -30°C. Baber admitted: "It's cold. It's amazing. The Himalayas are everywhere. I can't …

[Anonymous Coward]

Highest?

Haven't they introduced mobile phone calling from planes now? I think they might win on this one...

[Anonymous Coward]

The man must be a genius...

...he fathomed the user interface to a Motorola mobile phone!

[Anonymous Coward]

Snowdon

Kinda beats the ~1,000 metre phone call I made on Snowdon's neighbour.... (Which incidently is far nicer! You actually have to climb the thing and no one else is up there)

[Andy S]

Mobile calls on aircraft

In October 2005, Boeing demonstrated the use of mobile telephony aboard a commercial jet liner. This flight may be the "world's highest mobile phone call", but in the news release (http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q4/nr_051017j.html), Boeing did not state the altitude of said aircraft at the time the calls were made.

Typically commercial aircraft fly between say 28 000 ft (8 534m) and 35 000ft (10 668m), which places the top of Everest between cruising altitudes.

The Everest call may still be able to claim fame as the highest land-based mobile call.

[Taz Taziuk]

8848 metres = 29 029 feet

Last time I checked, most modern airliners cruise at 38,000 feet and are equipped with phones.

Not quite the Mile High Club one aspires to, but...

[Jeremy Anderson]

Should I be impressed or annoyed?

I'm not sure.

One part of me thinks that having a cell phone tower in the middle of the Himalayas is WRONG.

The other part (the part that sees my cell phone connectivity go to zero when I turn a mile off the Interstate) thinks this is so freaking cool.

[Anonymous Coward]

i think we hold the record for the highest

me and my buds were smoking the kindest green yesterday for hours on end. i could barely see the keys on the phone to make the call-dialed the wrong # twice. i think this qualifies for the highest mobile call. ali g for life.

[Gary]

Does anyone care ?

Yawn.

[Ryan]

40 secs in -30?

Lets see them talk for more then 30 mins in that kind of temperature. If you're hand doesn't freeze before the mobile dies. I can usually get about 30 mins out of my Motorola Razr before it goes dies in the canadian winter.

[Anonymous Coward]

Peak rate call?

I know, I'll get my coat....

[call me scruffy]

Re: 40 secs in -30?

Just as well it wasn't a woman then!