-
·
North Korean Cellular Coverage in 2026
North Korea’s cellular network has continued to expand since 38 North last mapped its footprint in late 2022, but the most significant change in the last several years has been the debut of 4G service. The launch of 4G brings faster data service that enables easier use of bandwidth-intensive applications such as streaming video and…
-
·
A Visual Look at Smartphone Penetration in North Korea
How many North Koreans are using smartphones? It’s one of the most common questions about technology in North Korea, but it’s also one that is very difficult to answer. It used to be straightforward. After Egypt’s Orascom launched Koryolink, North Korea’s first 3G network in December 2008, it would publish detailed quarterly statistics. The data,…
-
·
Twenty Years of Mobile Communications in North Korea
Two decades ago this month, North Koreans in Pyongyang and Rason were the first in the nation to get a taste of cellular telephony. In a country where landline phones were still the exception rather than the rule, mobile communications had the potential to revolutionize the way people communicate. Data from recent interviews with North…
