Cellular
UN Special Rapporteur calls for freedoms in DPRK
Mar 6th
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the DPRK has called for increased freedom of information and access to independent media for the people of North Korea. The calls came in a 76-point report submitted on Feb. 21, 2011, to the UN’s Human Rights Council.
The rapporteur, Marzuki Darusman, met with defectors, politicians and others in South Korea and Japan when compiling the report. Darusman previously served as Indonsia’s Attorney General and was a member of the country’s National Commission of Human Rights.
In the report, he covers access to independent and international media, Internet access, press freedom and the dangers associated More >
Report: Cell phone rentals to visitors suspended
Feb 21st
North Korea has suspended a cell-phone rental service for visiting foreigners, according to Japan’s Kyodo News.
The suspension began in January and could, speculates Kyodo, “reflect concern in the North over the flow of information about democracy demonstrations sweeping the Middle East.”
Telecommunications systems, including cell phones and the Internet, have proved instrumental in the growing civil unrest that has already engulfed several Middle Eastern states. In Egypt the government shut off both networks at the height of the unrest.
North Koreans don’t have access to the Internet, but at least 300,000 of them carry cell phones, according to data from the operator. More >
3G users to hit 1 million this year, says report
Feb 4th
North Korea is expecting the number of 3G users in the country will reach 1 million this year, according to a Chinese television report.
The prediction was made by a staffer of Chesin Commercial Corp., the government-linked company that runs North Korea’s international e-mail service, in an interview with Chinese Central Television (CCTV).
“It is expected that mobile phone users will reach one million in 2011,” the man, identified as Lee Churl Suh, told the Chinese state-run broadcaster in Pyongyang.
It was included in a report that focused on the popularity of cell phones in North Korea. The report was distributed to broadcasters More >
Orascom CEO meets Kim Jong Il
Jan 24th
The CEO of Egypt’s Orascom Telecom was given a dinner in his honor hosted by Kim Jong Il on Sunday night, KCNA reported on Monday. (Scroll down for updates)
Naguib Sawiris arrived in the North Korean capital on Friday and his meeting with the North Korean leader was the first reported details of his activities.
The report said Kim, “warmly welcomed his DPRK visit taking place at a time when Orascom′s investment is making successful progress in different fields of the DPRK, including telecommunications. He had a cordial talk with him.”
[Read my report at Network World]
A reception with Kim Jong Il is More >
North Korea tops 3G ranking
Jan 12th
The late start of cellular telephony in North Korea has brought the country at least one advantage: it leads the world in 3G adoption.
An impressive 99.9 percent of all subscribers in the country use 3G, placing North Korea number one in the world, telecommunication analyst TeleGeography said on Wednesday.
The solid showing doesn’t really mean North Korea’s cellular network is ahead of the world. In fact, it does more to illustrate how statistics can sometimes provide only half the picture.
While 3G adoption is indeed strong, it’s because most people didn’t have a chance to subscribe to the country’s 2G network.
A small More >
Koryolink Q3 2010 results
Nov 9th
Third-quarter financial results for Koryolink have been announced by majority-owner Orascom Telecom and what a quarter it was! The network managed record growth and revenue, thanks largely to network expansion.
Koryolink is North Korea’s only 3G cellular network and is operated by CHEO Technology, a joint venture in which Orascom holds 75 percent and the state run Korea Posts and Telecommunications Co. holds the remainder.
I covered the headline figures in this article at PC World: Koryolink Logs Big Jump in North Korean Cell Phone Users.
Here, I’d like to look a little bit more closely at the numbers.
Quarterly revenue hit a record More >
DPRK Cell-phone dialing codes
Aug 31st
A post on NKEconWatch has some hard-to-find information about cell phone dialing codes in North Korea. The details show how basic communications controls exist based on the type of account and customer.
SUNNET (2G GSM network, from 2002)
+850 193 801 plus 4-digit number (when being called from overseas) 193 801 plus 4-digit number (when calling SUNNET to SUNNET) 193 801 plus 4-digit number (when calling from Pyongyang “381” landlines to SUNNET)
KORYOLINK (3G network, from late 2008)
+850 192 250 numbers are for foreigners +850 192 260 numbers are for locals
Pyongyang “382” landline numbers cannot reach SUNNET cell phones. SUNNET subscribers can call More >
Cell Phone Demand Stays Strong at Koryolink
May 13th
Koryolink, North Korea’s only 3G cellular operator, saw sales more than double in the first three months of this year as it expanded its network coverage and enjoyed continued demand for its service.
At the end of March the company had 125,661 subscribers, a gain just under 34,000 subscribers over the quarter, according to majority-shareholder Orascom Telecom. The Egyptian company, which invests in cellular operators in developing nations, owns 75 percent of Koryolink.
Govt to produce own 3G handsets
Apr 20th
North Korea is planning to begin producing its own 3G handsets, according to a report from telecom-analyst TeleGeography, which in turn quotes the Chosun Simbo.
Source: “Govt to produce own handsets as demand for mobile phones rises,” TeleGeography
How Chinese cell phones help information flow
Apr 1st
Bloomberg Businessweek has a story on the Chinese cell phones in use in North Korea along the border region. It estimates around 1,000 people use such phones to keep in touch with relatives and associates in China, South Korea and elsewhere. Because the cell phones connect to Chinese cell phone towers it’s difficult for the North Korean government to eavesdrop on the calls, but it does mean use is restricted to the border area.
The piece interviews Open Radio for North Korea, the Seoul-based shortwave broadcaster, and the Daily NK Web site on how they gather information from inside North Korea More >
