{"id":196884,"date":"2023-08-17T14:55:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T14:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/?page_id=196884"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:40:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:40:34","slug":"bringing-the-internet-to-one-of-the-remotest-places-on-earth","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/issues\/community-networks\/success-stories\/nepal\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing the Internet to One of the Remotest Places on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>
\n
<\/div>\n

Bringing the Internet
to One of the Remotest
Places on Earth<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Children in the Khumjung school are more excited about their computer class than usual. The reason? They’re finally using the Internet\u2014after years of learning about it only through textbooks. All thanks to a local initiative, in partnership with the Internet Society, that built the highest community network in the world.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Children in the Khumjung school are more excited about their computer class than usual. The reason? They’re finally using the Internet\u2014after years of learning about it only through textbooks. All thanks to a local initiative, in partnership with the Internet Society, that built the highest community network in the world.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The faint hum of a helicopter grows closer before it appears. It lowers a cargo net, then settles onto the yellow \u201cH\u201d of a helipad, remaining on the ground just long enough to unclip its load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the aircraft recedes back into the sky, a group of men and women rush to unpack the net. Dawa Tshering Sherpa hoists a 60kg washing machine onto his back, which is secured by a loop of rope that passes through a padded band across his forehead. He sets off down the hill to Khumjung. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1953, mountain tourism has grown steadily in the region, when Mount Everest was summitted by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, a local mountaineer. But even though Khunde and Khumjung are only a few kilometers away from the famous Everest Trail leading to the Everest Base Camp, most visitors keep to the main trail and overnight in the bigger town of Namche Bazaar. <\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Porters<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/figure>
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tshering Sherpa, who owns a lodge in Khunde, thinks the two villages are too hidden and not promoted well. Those tourists who do spend a few days here love it. \u201cMost of them say it is a piece of heaven when they come up here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like other people from Khunde and Khumjung, Tshering hopes a community network will bring more tourists to Khunde and Khumjung\u2014along with improvements to education, health, and communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot Internet network has been initiated by the Nepal Internet Foundation, with support from the Internet Society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>
\n
<\/div>\n

Connectivity
Comes to the Villages<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Connectivity Comes to the Villages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Kathmandu-based Bikram Shrestha of the Nepal Internet Foundation was introduced to Chhepal Dorjee Sherpa, a trekking guide and entrepreneur who grew up in Khunde. Bikram had prior experience with community networks, and together the two set out to build \u201cthe highest community network in the world.\u201d At the time Khunde and Khumjung had patchy mobile phone coverage, with two dozen households paying about 1,000 rupees ($7.55) per month for an unreliable ADSL connection. The new vision: provide residents with fast and reliable Wi-Fi in their homes and businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, they began with a pilot project and connected the Community Club in Khunde and the Edmund Hillary School in Khumjung. The signal was brought to the village via a wireless link from the Hotel Everest View: the nearest tourist spot where fiber connectivity ends. There were challenges, as Bikram recalls. \u201cIt is a very extreme climate in winter, so we couldn\u2019t make it in one go. To reach Khunde and Khumjung itself is very difficult for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"a<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>
<\/div>
\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Naveed Haq, the Internet Society\u2019s Infrastructure and Connectivity Director for the Asia Pacific region, was part of the team who helped set up the pilot. Two trips were canceled, he recalls, because the weather was too dangerous, and when there was a window in the weather, they could only work for a few hours each morning as rain poured down for the rest of the day. When they eventually managed to connect the school, it was a moment Naveed will never forget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>
We told the students that they can start browsing the Internet. Most of them opened Google and most of them put \u2018Khumjung school\u2019 as their first search prompt. When they clicked on the button and they could see the images of their school\u2014that excitement and that smile on their faces when they were looking at each other!\u201d<\/div>