Our dear friend Cyriac Roeding, the former EVP of mobile at CBS (NYSE: CBS), is on a world tour of about 10 countries in seven weeks. After leaving CBS earlier this year, he is on to the next new thing, and for inspiration—and to unwind—and at our request, he is documenting the mobile lifestyle across the countries he is touring. His second “postcard” for us from Nepal…check out his pictures of the mobile lifestyle in the country, here on Flickr. His first postcard from Bhutan, here.

[by Cyriac Roeding] “A narrow unpaved road in the middle of Kathmandu.  Hundreds of students are passing by demonstrating against the new government.  Just two days ago the new President and Vice President have been sworn in, and already the students are concerned about the new VP who chose to be sworn in in India’s Hindu language rather than in Nepali.  This after political turmoil for years since the “royal massacre” several years ago, in which a prince killed nearly the entire ruling royal family of Nepal - and himself.  Afterwards short-lived trials of democracy, then a new (unloved) king, then, a “constitutional democracy” and two months ago, finally the forced last exit of the king from the royal Palace in Kathmandu.

During this whole political process, mobile and internet usage was key to change.  Text messaging served as the most important tool to organize demonstrations and mobilize the opposition to the king. So much so that the royal palace ordered cell phone networks to be switched off repeatedly when the situation became too dangerous for the ruling family.

As in most developing nations, cell phones are more important than PC’s or the stationary Internet, because they are often the only technology tool that is fairly widespread.  Although, “widespread” is a relative term.  In Kathmandu, the capital, many young people have a cell phone, and whenever you see small groups hovering on the ground looking at something, you can almost be certain it is to compare their mobile ringtones (ringtones are the new rage in Kathmandu).  But in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayan mountains, owning a cell phone and having network access becomes less common.  Two reasons:  For one, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia and even worldwide.  Statistics show the average per capita income at USD 360 – annually.  82% of the population lives on less than $2 per day.  Secondly, building out cell phone networks in the mountains above 15,000 feet becomes economically questionable given low population density.  I expected more mobile use in Nepal than in Bhutan, as Bhutan did not even have TV until 1999, and no cell phones at all until 2003.  In reality, it looked clearly the opposite.  Bhutan seems to take very cautious steps, but when it does take them, they are large steps with a clear direction.  Only 5 years after the first cell phone arrival, Bhutan already seems to have stronger mobile use, as far as I could see.

So in Nepal’s Himalayan mountains, a whole different mobile technology is still being used when it gets important, e.g. for Everest expeditions in Nepal’s Northeast:  satellite phones.  And those phones’ limiting factor is not altitude, but rather frost resistance…”