Internet at Everest Base Camp: Everest Link, Starlink and the 4G Promise
| Event date | Status as of May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lukla to Everest Base Camp |
| Type | Infrastructure and connectivity |
| Verification | Partially verified (official plans announced; no launch date confirmed) |
| Status | Developing — update when 4G at Base Camp goes live |
Getting online at Base Camp has changed a lot in a decade, but it is still harder than most visitors expect. The main provider is Everest Link, a private company founded in 2014 by Tsering Gyaltsen Sherpa. It runs a network of about 36 solar-powered towers between Lukla and Base Camp and sells Wi-Fi data cards (for example US$20 for 10 GB or US$30 for 20 GB, valid 30 days) through lodges and shops in Lukla, Namche, Dingboche and Gokyo. Before it, most expeditions relied on satellite phones.
Mobile coverage is patchy above Namche. Nepal Telecom has a site at Gorak Shep, and Ncell has offered 2G/3G there and has talked about 4G for Base Camp. In December 2025 the communications minister at the time, Jagdish Kharel, directed both operators to extend service to Base Camp, but by spring 2026 visitors were still reporting that neither network’s data worked reliably there.
That gap is why many foreign teams now bring their own Starlink terminals, even though Starlink has not been licensed in Nepal and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority has warned that unauthorised satellite internet breaks the Telecommunications Act. In May 2026 Nepal Telecom, announcing 4G in Olangchung Gola in the Kanchenjunga region, said Everest Base Camp is next in its pipeline. Whether that happens before the 2027 season is the thing to watch.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Everest Link
- The Tourism Times — "Bad connection, broken rules: why Everest's climbers are turning to 'illegal' Starlink"
- NepaliTelecom — Nepal Telecom starts 4G in Olangchung Gola (23 May 2026)
- NepaliTelecom — Ncell to expand 4G network at Everest Base Camp
- The Kathmandu Post — "Everest base camp to have high-speed connectivity" (2022)
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.