The first hi-tech mobile phone network for North Korea has been announced by an Egyptian telecom firm. The firm, called Orascom, says that it will invest $400 million over four years. It is unclear who will be able to use the system since North Korea is one of the world’s tightest societies. The country launched a basic system in 2002, but most citizens are banned from using it.
The new system has been launched in the capital city of Pyongyang thus far. The new system will be able to accommodate all 22 million of North Korea’s citizens being able to handle fast internet connections and large quantities of information. Making phone calls out of North Korea is impossible. It is unsure if this new cell phone network will be available to all citizens, but the handset for the new network will cost about $700, which will be out of reach for the vast majority of the citizens
The chief executive of Orascom said that “he was astonished by the quality and advancement of the Korean people,” however the UN estimates that 40 percent of the population is in need of food aid.
2 comments:
With Obama wanting to build more infrastructures, The U.S can look to North Korea as an example and see what can be done in the information technologies sector to give better infrastructures in the U.S.
I kind of think North Korea needs to readjust their priorities. This is a major achievement for them but for the information that I have seen, North Korea should be helping out their extreme impoverished citizen with food and the necessities instead of setting up a 3g network so they can browse the internet. And with the restrictions on what is allowed in and out of North Korea, I don't see it as very useful to the people.
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