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British explorer Daniel Hughes makes first video call from Everest's peak

British explorer Daniel Hughes makes first video call from Everest's peak

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Everest HTC one
Everest HTC one

The first live video call from a smartphone at the peak of Mount Everest has been made by British explorer Daniel Hughes, as part of his effort to raise money for the Comic Relief charity. The call, made with an HTC One, is not the first mobile call made from Everest's heights — but it's the first video call to be made using a smartphone. Speaking to the BBC, Hughes said that "as you can see, this is the world's first live video call, never been done before, from the rooftop of the world." To complete the call, Hughes used Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network service, which has previously assisted other climbers in making phone calls from the mountain's dramatic face. Despite the impressive effort, the stunt has so far raised just over £40,673 — leaving Hughes with yet another steep climb to his goal of raising £1,000,000 (about $1,537,099) for Comic Relief.