Orascom’s Koryolink counts one million subs in North Korea

Orascom’s 3G network in North Korea – Koryolink – has surpassed one million users, according to press reports.

Japan’s Mainichi Daily News reports that the latest subscriber figure is more than double the 430,000 recorded in December 2010, just over a year ago. Egypt-based Orascom launched the network in the highly secretive and totalitarian state in December 2008 and is the country’s sole operator. Orascom owns 75 per cent of the cellco as part of a JV with the government.

According to the report, the network now covers 94 per cent of North Korea’s 24 million population, extending to 14 major cities and 86 other municipalities.
Orascom chairman Naguib Sawiris undertook a three-day visit to the country last week.

Despite the rising mobile subscriber base, usage is thought to be tightly controlled and monitored. Most ordinary users are banned from making international calls or accessing the Internet via their devices.