Cairo-based Orascom Telecom Holding said in its third quarter earnings report that the number of subscribers in the country had jumped to 301,199 by the end of September from 69,261 a year earlier.<\/p>\n
“Koryolink continued the utilisation of its 3G network and successfully launched the video calling service to the market which resulted in a high level of demand, especially from the youth segment,” it said on its website Sunday.<\/p>\n
Koryolink is Orascom’s subsdiary in North Korea.<\/p>\n
However, Orascom said overall “mobile penetration” remains at one percent in the country. which has a per-capita GDP of 1,900 dollars and a population of 22.8 million.<\/p>\n
North Korea has strictly controlled access to outside information and fixes the tuning controls of radios and televisions to official stations.<\/p>\n
It began a mobile phone service in November 2002 but shut it down without explanation 18 months later and began recalling handsets.<\/p>\n
But in December 2008, the country introduced a 3G mobile phone network in a joint venture with Orascom.<\/p>\n