A project to improve Internet connectivity for the Sherpas of Khunde and Khumjung villages in Nepal and to support digital literacy, technical capacity building, and entrepreneurship.

1. Everest Community Network
Improving Internet Connectivity for the Sherpas of Nepal
January 2023

2. 2
The Sherpa people of Nepal have called
the Himalayas home for hundreds of
years.
In the villages of Khunde and Khumjung,
a community of 1,700 people are
working hard to make a living, raise their
families, and maintain their way of life.
But climate change and digital isolation
are threatening their sustainability.
Our Project Partners

3. Project Site: Khunde & Khumjung Villlages
The villages of Khunde and Khumjung are 32 kilometers from the Mount Everest Base Camp

4. 4
The primary source of income is tourism related to Everest
climbing expeditions, which has some serious drawbacks:
• Tourists usually bypass the villages to go straight to
the Everest base camp, so the local economy doesn’t
benefit as much as it could.
• Expeditions are hard and dangerous work. One third of
deaths that occur on Everest expeditions are Sherpa.
• Climate change is making the climb even more
dangerous, threatening climbers’ safety and the
industry at large.
• Reliance on the climbing industry leaves few
employment options for local youth. The outmigration
of young adults threatens the sustainability of Khunde
and Khumjung and the Sherpa culture.
The Challenges
1) Reliance on the Climbing Industry

5. 5
The villages’ remote location and lack of
infrastructure present real obstacles to
opportunity and growth.
• The nearest road access is a two-week hike
away. Goods must be brought in by donkey
or by helicopter, at great expense.
• Communication with the outside world is
difficult. At present, residents have limited
mobile Internet access and must travel
some distance to get a signal.
• Education, health care, and other
opportunities are limited.
The Challenges
2) Remote Location

6. The Solution
6
Reliable and affordable high-speed Internet
will open a world of opportunities for the
people of Khunde and Khumjung. It can help
them overcome challenges posed by their
remote location, attract tourists to spend
time in the villages (not just on Everest), and
build new business models and sources of
income.
The Internet can also improve the
community’s access to education, health care
services, and more, making mountain living
more sustainable.

7. First Steps: 2022
7
In 2022, Internet Society worked with village
residents and the Nepal Internet Foundation to begin
improving Internet access in Khunde and Khumjung.
We installed an antenna at the community center in
Khunde and another at the school in Khumjung to
receive wireless signal from Everest View Hotel. Each
building now has Internet access and act as Wi-Fi
hotspots for the community.
The response has been enthusiastic. Students are able
to use the Internet at school, and residents can travel
to the school and community center to access the
Internet on their devices.
But it is clear that residents need a stronger signal,
faster connectivity, and more access points than the
current network can provide.
In 2023, we will bring high-speed fiber optic
connectivity to Khunde and Khumjung.

8. The Plan: 2023
8
1) Infrastructure Deployment
GOAL: Lay 3 kilometers of fiber optic cable from
Hotel Everest View to Khumjung and Khunde villages.
Nepal Airlink, the local Sherpa-owned and operated
Internet Service Provider, will lay the cable in
collaboration with village residents.
Nepal Airlink has also committed to operate, support,
and manage the connection into the future on a non-
profit basis. Nepal Airlink will negotiate user rates
with the villages that are affordable for users and
cover operational costs for long-term sustainability.

9. The Plan: 2023
9
2) Digital Transformation Activities
GOAL: Support training and capacity building to
help the community make the most of its
connectivity.
• General digital capacity building
• Technical workshops in network
troubleshooting and maintenance
• Startup of new Sherpa Home Stay services
• Setting up a Sherpa community innovation lab
• Establishing a telehealth clinic at Khunde
hospital
• Providing supplementary STEM educational
opportunities to students at Khumjung school
• Deploying a digital monitoring system so those
who need to migrate from the area during
winter can monitor their land and assets

10. 10
$100,000 USD
$50,000 to install fiber optic cable
(includes equipment and labor).
$50,000 to support digital capacity
building and new initiatives to spur
entrepreneurism, improve medical
care, and expand educational
opportunities.
Funding Needs

11. 11
We are a global non-profit organization dedicated to an
open, secure, and trustworthy Internet for everyone,
everywhere.
Our unique skillset and global yet local presence allows
us to effectively deliver our mission around the world.
30 years of experience championing the Internet
Global reach + grassroots engagement
• 135 Chapters & Special Interest Groups
• 87 Organizational Members
• 87,777 Individual Members
Over 100,000 people trained worldwide
Why the Internet Society?

12. 12
Beyond Nepal…
In 2023, we are planning similar activities
in the Asia Pacific region to connect the
unconnected in:
• Philippines
• Pakistan
• India
• Indonesia
Each project will bring complementary
Internet access solutions tailored to fit the
local community’s priorities and needs.
Funding needs range from $50,000 to
$100,000 per community.

13. 13
Will you join us?

14. Thank you.
internetsociety.org
@internetsociety
Rue Vallin 2
CH-1201 Geneva
Switzerland
11710 Plaza America Drive
Suite 400
Reston, VA 20190, USA
Rambla Republica de Mexico 6125
11000 Montevideo,
Uruguay
3 Temasek Avenue, Level 21
Centennial Tower
Singapore 039190
Science Park 400
1098 XH Amsterdam
Netherlands
66 Centrepoint Drive
Nepean, Ontario, K2G 6J5
Canada
Click to add text
Naveed Haq
Regional Infrastructure and Connectivity Director, Asia Pacific
haq@isoc.org
Adrian Wan
Project Lead, Connecting the Unconnected
wan@isoc.org
Joao Aguiar
Project Lead, Connecting the Unconnected
aguiar@isoc.org