In December, I was literally at the top of the world – at an altitude of over 5,300 meters in Tibet, not far from Mount Everest. Between rock and ice, something happened that left me both amazed and smiling: I had a completely stable FaceTime conversation with colleagues in Europe. No choppy words, no frozen images – it was as if I were sitting at home connected to my Wi-Fi. In an environment where yaks are more at home than YouTubers, the term "digitalization" really takes on a new dimension.
This technologically astonishing experience is more than just an anecdote for your next get-together with friends. It impressively demonstrates how consistently China is rolling out digital infrastructure across its territory – even in places where you really wouldn't expect it. In fact, Chinese engineers recently put several 5G antennas into operation at Everest Base Camp (5,300 m) and higher. The result: even under the glistening sky of the Himalayas, video calls in HD are possible. Digital connectivity knows no fear of heights up here.
Description: Smartphone shows 5127.9 meters above sea level, but still has 4G.
A few kilometers away from the high-tech base camp as the crow flies, you enter a completely different world – Nepal. Just across the border, the picture changes dramatically. Here, bumpy roads, frequent power outages, and fragile networks dominate everyday life. Of course, much of Nepal is also digital in some way: smartphones are widespread, and even the most remote mountain villages are familiar with Facebook and TikTok. Statistically, there are even more mobile phone connections in Nepal than there are inhabitants (as of 2025: ~39 million SIM cards for ~29.6 million inhabitants). But this first impression is deceptive. Many connections do not automatically mean comprehensive Internet coverage – in 2025, almost 45% of Nepalese were still offline, especially in rural areas.
Nepal's digital world appears fragmented and often improvised. Internet access is often limited to small doses – sometimes a Wi-Fi hotspot in the nearest large town, sometimes a mobile data connection when the generator is running. Reliable infrastructure? Usually in short supply. UNICEF reported back in 2022 that only 3% of Nepalese young people had access to computers and the internet. Just imagine: 97 out of 100 young people remain virtually cut off from the global network. This figure may have improved somewhat in the meantime, but it underscores Nepal's enormous digital divide. The difference to the Tibetan 5G oasis is obvious – the will to digitize is there, but the possibilities are limited.
So while I was on the Tibetan side, seeing the snow-capped peaks flashing in the background during a video call, a few days later in Nepal I often searched in vain for a network that was stronger than a yak. Two neighboring regions, separated only by an invisible border, and yet worlds apart in terms of connectivity.
And because such a trip would be little more than a nice myth without the right guide, I met Tenzin Woaber in Tibet, the general manager and co-founder of Tenzin Travel & Tours, one of the oldest locally run travel agencies in Lhasa. The agency was founded by his family in 1997 and has since specialized in looking after international visitors to the highlands – with local knowledge, local guides, and a deep understanding of Tibetan life and the challenges on the ground.
Tenzin knows the highlands not from maps or documentaries, but from daily practice. He guided us through places that would be difficult to reach without local experience, explained procedures, permits, cultural peculiarities—and above all, what is often overlooked when traveling: everyday life. His role was that of a calm, precise mediator between landscape, culture, and logistics. No more, but also no less.
It was precisely this matter-of-factness that was remarkable. While I was still wondering about dead spots, altitude, and infrastructure, Tenzin moved through the region with a calmness that only someone for whom none of this is unusual could possess. This gave the trip a solid foundation—both literally and figuratively.
Perhaps this is one of the quieter insights gained from this trip: global developments are often discussed in terms of abstract concepts. On the ground, however, they are embedded in real people, routines, and ways of life. Without a guide like Tenzin, much of this would have remained invisible—regardless of whether the cell phone network shows five bars or none at all.
Description: Photo shoot at lofty heights.
This trip made me realize that the technological advantage of some regions is less due to individual innovations and more to the framework conditions. In Tibet and the People's Republic of China, data availability is a matter of course. Whatever is digitally feasible is done – without much debate or lengthy deliberation. Authorities and companies eagerly collect data and build services on it. This creates momentum. And this momentum creates opportunities – especially for artificial intelligence (AI).
The decisive factor: data is the fuel of AI. And China has huge reserves of this fuel. The EU Commission has stated that China's access to big data gives it a major AI advantage – "the fuel for AI development," as one report puts it. What does that mean in concrete terms? In China, hundreds of millions of people use digital services from WeChat to Alipay every day; surveillance cameras film cities around the clock. All of this generates enormous amounts of data. Without waiting for lengthy data protection conferences, this data is used for AI systems, trained, and poured into new applications. AI research and the AI economy can thus draw on unlimited resources.
Europe often views this pace of development with mixed feelings: on the one hand with concern (keyword: digital "system rivalry"), on the other hand with envy. You don't have to be an oracle to predict that AI systems will develop faster where data is available in abundance and without delay. Chinese companies and institutes are rapidly producing AI patents and applications – from autonomous buses to intelligent city management. The reason is less mystical than practical: vast amounts of data + fewer obstacles = higher speed. Or, to put it more poetically, as a Chinese proverb says: "He who drinks quickly quenches his thirst first." China has a great thirst for AI development – and is quenching it with data.
Description: The flag above the roof of the world.
At the same time, we in Europe are rightly discussing governance, ethics, and regulation in the digital space. Our continent is taking a distinctly human-centered and cautious approach to AI. Data protection (think of the GDPR) and fundamental rights are not up for debate. For example, the European General Data Protection Regulation requires explicit consent for any use of data – with the result that much data is not even collected or passed on in the EU. You could say that Europe is driving with the handbrake on, while China is stepping on the gas. But there is a good reason for this handbrake. It's called trust.
In Europe, technology should serve people—not the other way around. The recently adopted EU AI Act (the EU regulation on artificial intelligence) sums up this self-image. It is the world's first comprehensive legal framework for AI and follows the motto: innovation yes, but safe, transparent, and in line with fundamental rights. The AI Act classifies AI systems according to their risk level and consistently prohibits those that are considered an unacceptable risk. Social scoring systems, for example – AI that assigns a value to people based on their behavior – are explicitly prohibited. AI methods designed to manipulate or exploit people are also prohibited. These bans are aimed directly at applications that are already a reality elsewhere (think of facial recognition in public spaces or China's social credit system). In Europe, on the other hand, the aim is to prevent such abuses from the outset. Safety and fundamental rights take precedence over speed.
Of course, this stance is sparking intense debate. During my trip, it became clear to me that while we in Europe are investing time in discussions about AI ethics and regulation, others are using that time to rapidly expand infrastructure and data pools. Some in the European tech community are already complaining that the enthusiasm for regulation is having a "chilling effect" on innovation—in other words, it is quickly dampening the initial enthusiasm. The trick will be for Europe not to fall behind despite clear rules. The AI Act attempts to do just that: it sets out strict guidelines, but also includes support measures, such as sandboxes for AI startups and test environments where innovation can flourish – under supervision, of course.
The bottom line is that Europe is taking a different path than China. It's a marathon rather than a sprint. We believe it's important to understand and tame the digital world before we bring it to every corner. This approach is neither right nor wrong—it's a conscious political decision. But we need to be clear: it has consequences. While we are drafting guidelines, AI-powered reality is unfolding in real time elsewhere. The sense of competition is palpable: who sets the standard – the one who acts first, or the one who sets the rules first?
The sight of Mount Everest is overwhelming—monumental and immovable. But the digital world below this peak is not. It is developing rapidly, just not at the same speed everywhere. My little FaceTime adventure on the roof of the world was symbolic of this: it showed how different digital realities can be in a very small geographical area.
For me personally, this trip was an eye-opener. It made me realize that AI is not some abstract topic of the future that can be endlessly theorized about. AI arises from very concrete conditions: fast internet in the most remote locations, data in abundance, political will, and clear (or less clear) rules. Infrastructure, data availability, and political decisions—these are the real drivers behind what becomes technologically possible. An algorithm may be global, but its development is deeply local.
And what do I take away for myself—and our everyday work? Above all, the realization that sometimes a journey teaches you more than any white paper. The contrasts between Tibet, Nepal, and Europe have shown me how important it is to think outside the box. Anyone who has seen the global connections of digitalization with their own eyes—be it the antenna on Everest or the missing mast in the Himalayan village—understands better why our projects, products, and strategies have to be the way they are.
From a distance, Mount Everest seems to have been made for eternity, but down in the valleys, the digital world is writing new chapters every day—each country at its own pace. It is up to us to draw the right conclusions from this. Because in the end, we all benefit when we understand both the rapid highs and the slow paths of digitalization. Only then can we find our own way—perhaps not always the fastest, but one that fits our values and moves us forward.
All that remains to be said is: Greetings from the summit – may the digital oxygen never run out!