- Sunday, 8 November 2009
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I have nothing to declare apart from a chocolate eclair - Oscar Wild Thing
North Korea gets mobile phone network
NORTH KOREA is investing in a state-of-the art mobile phone network.
Egyptian telecom behemoth Orascom says it's just picked up a 25-year-licence to operate and an exclusive four year telecommunications licence contract in the renegade state, despite the fact the government doesn't even allow the majority of its citizens to use the internet, let alone phone each other for a chat.
Orascom runs networks all across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, even dealing with the likes of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
Now the firm is saying it intends to cover Pyongyang and most of the country's major cities during the first year of service, but just who it will be servicing exactly is a bit of a mystery.
Orascom's Chief Exec, Naguib Sawiris, was reported to be in Pyongyang for talks today, but that's as many details as the state run news agency is ready to divulge. The deal has apparently been in the Pyongyang pipeline since last January when Orascom Telecom Holding SAE announced a $400 million deal.
As far as censorship goes, North Korea is something of a perfect model. Not much gets in or out of the tightly controlled military state where Internet censorship is so strict, only top government and military officials are even allowed access to it.
The situation is similar for mobile phones. North Korea has had mobile phones before, but their use came to a mysterious end back in 2004 linked to a train explosion, though details remain sketchy.
Subscriber fees have yet to be announced, but seeing as most of the population can't even afford to feed itself, the chances of them splurging on top up cards are a bit slim. In all likelihood it will really only be the North Korean government elites who have access to the network. µ
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Hehe... Of course, now that means that the US government will be able to listen in on all DPRK cell calls. No doubt the boys and girls at the NRC are happy about that! Oh, and don't waste your time trying to encrypt.
All we get in the USA is a promise of better wireless network. But all they have here in the USA is data caps and a dream of a better network. Data caps are a form of commerce censorship. So now the most restricted country in the world may have a better service than in the USA.
Is this article about a new mobile phone network in N Korea or about having a good laugh at North Korea's present situation? The writer, despite the title has not made this clear.
I am appalled at the comments here. Not one person even comments on the fact that Koreans are STARVING to death because of an oppressive government.
Complaining about bugging phone calls or data caps or if the article is "poking fun". You should be ashamed of yourselves. It is people like you that will let this country slid into a socialist mirror of North Korea.