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Orascom gets UN exemption to operate North Korean cellular network
Egypt’s Orascom Investment Holding has received an exemption from the United Nations to continue operating Koryolink, its North Korean cellular network, it said Monday. The ability of Orascom to continue as a partner in the network has been in doubt since U.N. Security Council sanctions last year banned foreign companies from establishing or running commercial…
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North Korea blocks Twitter, South Korea blocks me
The governments of North and South Korea both moved this week to tighten control on access to the Internet with blocks on major sites and North Korea Tech.
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Orascom has ‘lost control’ of Koryolink
Orascom Telecom and Media Technology (OTMT) says it has effectively lost control of Cheo Technology, the North Korean joint venture cellular operator that uses the Koryolink brand-name and has around 3 million subscribers. The dramatic statement was contained in the company’s latest financial report, which also said that OTMT would no longer be treated as a…
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Koryolink said to have 3 million subscriptions
North Korean cellular operator Koryolink has 3 million subscriptions, according to a report from Reuters. The figure was provided by a Koryolink staffer to Reuters correspondent James Pearson, who was in Pyongyang last week to cover the 70th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. No more details were provided, which is run-of-the-mill for Koryolink. Orascom…
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Orascom’s no closer to getting its cash from North Korea
Egypt’s Orascom Telecom Media and Technology (OTMT) has reported no significant progress in talks with the North Korean government over two big issues it faces in the country. In its second quarter financial results, Orascom says it’s still trying to figure out how to get its cash out of the country and a possible merger of…
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New cellular carrier is run by local ISP, says source
The new cellular carrier run by the North Korean government to compete with Koryolink is being run by a local Internet service provider, according to a source in Pyongyang. The ISP, called Byol (?) or Star, is targeting the wireless service at North Koreans. Star currently offers wired Internet connections to foreigners in Pyongyang at a…
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Koryolink faces big problems with cash, competition
Orascom Telecom, the majority owner of North Korean cellular network Koryolink, is facing major problems getting its money out of North Korea and now has new competition from its partner, the government, in the form of a rival cellular network. The new network was recently launched in competition with Koryolink and the two parties are currently discussing merging the…
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Instagram block adds speed bump to DPRK’s Internet access
It was always a bit of a paradox: in the country with some of the strictest censorship on the planet, Internet access for the lucky ones that had even less restrictions than neighboring China. In North Korea, the Internet divide between the elite and the rest of the country couldn’t have been wider: you either had everything or you…
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3G Internet service said to resume in Pyongyang
Foreigners in Pyongyang can once again access the Internet from their smartphones, according to a report. Service was suspended last Friday because of an Internet connection problem with no estimated time of restoration, according to a message sent to subscribers by carrier Koryolink. The outage and message were reported by Reuters. During the outage, websites hosted…
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Orascom tackles its North Korean cash problem
The Egyptian company that runs North Korea’s sole cellular network appears to be finally confronting one of its biggest problems in North Korea: the value of its money there. Egypt’s Orascom Telecom and Media Technology (OTMT) said on Tuesday that it is delaying the filing of its latest quarterly financial report while it attempts to…
