Telecom
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 >
KCTV moving on Thaicom-5
Oct 19th
Korean Central Television (KCTV) is moving transponders on the Thaicom-5 satellite at the end of this month.
Anyone receiving the channel via satellite will have to retune to continue watching. It’s moving from the current transponder 3G at 3504MHz H to transponder 7G at 3695MHz H.
KCTV has been on its current transponder since at least 2007, which is shortly after Thaicom-5 was launched. The new transponder has a similar footprint to the old one, so the reception area and equipment needed shouldn’t change.
The station has been broadcasting on the new channel since July 1 and will end transmission on the old More >
Northeast Asia Telecommunications Directors’ Meeting
Sep 27th
Pyongyang, September 24 (KCNA) — The 27th meeting of the North-East Asia Telephone and Telecommunications Co., Ltd. Directors’ Board took place in Pyongyang on Friday.
Full Story: KCNA
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 >
North Korean 3G customers double in Q2
Aug 26th
The number of cellular subscriptions in North Korea more than doubled in the second quarter of this year although average revenue per user (ARPU) fell, Orascom Telecom said.
Koryolink, in which Orascom owns a majority stake, had 47,863 subscribers at the end of June. That’s more than twice as many as at the end of April, when the total stood at 19,208, said Orascom. The Egyptian company owns cellular networks in several developing markets, including a 75 percent stake in Koryolink. The remainder is held by the state-run Korea Posts and Telecommunications Corp.
Read the full story at Network World.
More >
