Everest is the upper limit for exploration on earth, and now it has 3G Internet coverage.

In some ways, this is a good thing: Since 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summited the world’s highest peak, climbers have been on their own for communication. Some lugged heavy satellite equipment and others did without.

Now every climber can make video calls to loved ones or update their Facebook status from 18,000 feet. Because of 3G Internet, emergency procedures will be streamlined and better coordinated.

But the 3G coverage is also a bad thing.

Some people are concerned mountaineers won’t focus completely on climbing””a chore that demands total mental focus””and will be distracted by the Internet. Staying safe on Everest is a task in and of itself, and communicating with family, supporters and even people back at work will bring multitasking to a high-risk area with potentially tragic outcomes.

Others worry that Internet connectivity will rob the climbing experience of risk, mystery and isolation.

It’s a reasonable fear. Many outdoor buffs go remote in order to disconnect from the digital world. Now Everest, a bastion of the remote wilderness, is no longer remote. It’s becoming harder and harder to find escapes from the tyranny of always-on technology like cell phones; now it can’t even be escaped on Everest.

Just as the arctic poles were the last frontiers of exploration, the wilderness is the last frontier of digital isolation.

Sadly, the technological development of the wilderness is heralded as essential progress with little thought given to the preservation of Everest’s wild side.

But America’s foremost mountaineer Ed Viesturs sees the innovation with a skeptical eye. “You know, I think it’s kind of good and kind of bad, but to me it’s kind of inevitable.”

The potential for digital pollution on Everest isn’t the only threat to the mountain’s preservation. Over the years, litter and trash have spoiled the mountain as the peak has become more accessible. More perks on the peak, like cellphone service and the Internet, may promote irresponsible tourist climbing, leading to even more environmental abuse in the area.

Everest has 3G Internet, but some rural areas in the United States still don’t have broadband access. Climbers can make video calls from the highest peak in the world, but when they visit San Francisco they’ll get dropped calls. Seems a bit backward, don’t you think?

Everest doesn’t need 3G Internet. Everest needs an advocate for its wild side.