Orascom Telecom is planning to add Internet service to its 3G cellular offering in North Korea, according to the Choson Exchange blog.
Writing in a post on Sunday, Geoffrey K. See, the organization’s executive director and founder, says the service is currently being tested but should be available in the near future. The information on the service came from a meeting with Orascom employees in Pyongyang.
At first it will be available to resident foreigners living in Pyongyang. So far there is no approval for a wider service, even in censored form, for the North Korean subscribers. Orascom didn’t provide any details on the connection to be offered or any security considerations.
The company owns a majority 75 percent stake in Cheo Technology, the joint-venture 3G operator that provides service under the “Koryolink” brand. The remainder of the company is owned by the country’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Mr. See also provided current pricing: handsets cost around 50 euros (US$69) and a basic month subscription costs 900 won, which is around US$1 at the official exchange rate and less than half that at street exchange rates. What’s available for that basic charge is unclear.More expensive subscriptions are also understood to be offered.
