Telecommunications In North Korea

Telephoneprogramming. There also is a powerful shortwave
By 1970 automatic switching facilities were in usetransmitter for overseas broadcasts in several
in Pyongyang, Siniju, Hamhng, and Hyesan. A fewlanguages.
public telephone booths were beginning to appearThe official government station is the Korean
in Pyongyang around 1990. Ordinary citizens doCentral Broadcasting Station (KCBS), which
not have private telephone lines. There arebroadcasts in Korean. In 1997 there were 3.36
international connections via Moscow and Beijing,million radio sets.
and in late 1989 international direct dialing serviceInternet
was introduced from Hong Kong. A satelliteMain article: Internet in North Korea
ground station near Pyongyang provides directSee also: Sili Bank and Chollima (website)
international communications using the InternationalNorth Korea's first Internet caf opened in 2002 as
Telecommunications Satellite Corporation (Intelsat)a joint venture with South Korean internet
Indian Ocean satellite. A satellite communicationscompany Hoonnet. It is connected via a line to
center was installed in Pyongyang in 1986 withChina. Foreign visitors can link their computers to
French technical support. An agreement to sharethe Internet through international phone lines
in Japan's telecommunications satellites wasavailable in a few hotels in Pyongyang. In 2005 a
reached in 1990. North Korea joined the Universalnew internet caf opened in Pyongyang, connected
Postal Union in 1974 but has direct postalnot through China, but through the North Korean
arrangements with only a select group ofsatellite link. Content is most likely filtered by
countries.North Korean government agencies. In 2003 a
According to the CIA World Factbook, thejoint venture called KCC Europe between
telephone system is inadequate and no telephonebusinessman Jan Holterman in Berlin and the North
directories are available. There were 1.18 millionKorean government brought the commercial
telephone main lines in use in 2007.Internet to North Korea. The connection is
Mobile phonesestablished through a satellite link from North
See also: List of mobile network operators of theKorea to servers located in Germany. This link
Asia Pacific region#Korea, Democratic People'sended the need to dial ISPs in China.
Republic ofKCC Europe is attempting to regulate the .kp
In November 2002, mobile phones werecountry code top-level domain (ccTLD); as of
introduced to North Korea and by November2008[update] its site (kcce.kp) and Naenara
2003, 20,000 North Koreans had bought mobile(naenara.kp) are the only known to be active in
phones. On May 24, 2004 however, mobilethe .kp domain. Its IP address resolves not to
phones were banned North Korea supposedly stillAsia but to servers at Internet Provider Berlin
has a mobile network in Pyongyang which is open(ipberlin.com) in the German capital.
for government officials only. Foreigners are notReferences
allowed to use (and also until recently to keep) 
mobile phones in North Korea although certain high^ "World briefings: North Korea", New York
profile visitors such as leadership from the NewTimes, June 4, 2004.
York Philharmonic which visited North Korea in^ "Secretive N Korea set to launch mobile phone
February 2008, were given rental phones toservice", Associated Press, December 4, 2008.
facilitate direct international communications.^ "3 " (HTML). 21 (94). 2009-01-01. Retrieved
In December 2008, a mobile phone service was2010-01-31. 
launched in Pyongyang which would expand to all^ (accessed 18 Nov 2009)
parts of the country. It is being installed and run^ (accessed 18 Nov 09)
by the Egyptian company Orascom. The official^ AFP (December 9, 2009). "Mobile phones
name of the 3G mobile phone service in Northspreading in N. Korea: media". The Sydney Morning
Korea is called "Koryo Link"; funded by OrascomHerald.
and the North Korean government. There has^ Foster-Carter, Aidan (2002-07-06). "North
been a large demand for the service since it wasKorea's tentative telecoms". Asia Times. Retrieved
launched, even among ordinary citizens. In2007-05-11. 
November 2009, Time Magazine reported that on^ "First Internet Cafe Opens in Pyongyang". The
a recent group tour, the North Korean tour guideChosun Ilbo. 2002-05-27. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
had a mobile phone which was a gift from her^ Lintner, Bertil (2007-04-24). "North Korea's IT
boyfriend{{fact}date=2009}}. The foreignrevolution". Asia Times. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
joint-venture Daedong Credit Bank in PyongyangExternal links
gives a North Korean mobile phone number withNorth Korea Uncovered, (North Korea Google
their contact details.Earth) See most of North Korea's communications
Current subscriptions to mobile phones in thefacilities, including: The Korea Computer Center,
country are around 120,000.the Pyongyang Television Tower, the KCBS
Televisiontower, the major communications center in Heaju,
Main article: Media of North Koreaas well as satellite communications stations near
Broadcasting in North Korea is tightly controlled byPyongyang.v  d  e
the state and is used as a propaganda arm of theTelecommunications in Asia
ruling Korean Workers' Party. The Korean CentralSovereignstates
Television station is located in Pyongyang, andAfghanistan  Armenia1  Azerbaijan1  Bahrain 
there also are stations in major cities, includingBangladesh  Bhutan  Brunei  Burma2 
Chngjin, Kaesng, Hamhng, Haeju, and Siniju. ThereCambodia  People's Republic of China  Cyprus1 
are three channels in Pyongyang but only oneEast Timor3  Egypt4  Georgia4  India 
channel in other cities. Imported Japanese-madeIndonesia  Iran  Iraq  Israel  Japan  Jordan 
color televisions have a North Korean brand nameKazakhstan4  North Korea  South Korea 
superimposed, but nineteen-inch black-and-whiteKuwait  Kyrgyzstan  Laos  Lebanon  Malaysia 
sets have been produced locally since 1980. OneMaldives  Mongolia  Nepal  Oman  Pakistan 
estimate places the total number of televisionPhilippines  Qatar  Russia4  Saudi Arabia 
sets in use in the early 1990s at 250,000 sets.Singapore  Sri Lanka  Syria  Tajikistan 
RadioRepublic of China5  Thailand  Turkey4 
See also: Radio jamming in Korea and Voice ofTurkmenistan  United Arab Emirates 
KoreaUzbekistan  Vietnam  Yemen
Visitors are not allowed to bring a radio. As partStates with limitedrecognition
of the government's information blockade policy,Abkhazia1  Nagorno-Karabakh  Northern
North Korean radios and televisions must beCyprus  Palestine  South Ossetia1 
modified to only receive government stations.Dependencies,autonomies,other territories
These modified radios and televisions should beAceh  Adjara1  Akrotiri and Dhekelia  Altai 
registered at special state department. They areBritish Indian Ocean Territory  Buryatia 
also subject to inspection at random. The removalChristmas Island  Cocos (Keeling) Islands 
of the official seal is punishable by law. In order toGuangxi  Hong Kong  Inner Mongolia  Iraqi
buy a TV-set or a radio, Korean citizens shouldKurdistan  Khakassia  Macau  Nakhchivan 
get special permission from the officials at placesNingxia  Papua  Sakha Republic  Tibet  Tuva 
of their residence or employment.West Papua  Xinjiang 
North Korea has two AM radio broadcasting1 Sometimes included in Europe, depending on the
networks, Pyongyang Broadcasting Station (Radioborder definitions.  2 Officially known as
Pyongyang) and Korean Central BroadcastingMyanmar.  3 Sometimes included in Oceania, and
Station, and one FM network, Pyongyang FMalso known as Timor-Leste.  4 Transcontinental
Broadcasting Station. All three networks havecountry.  5 Commonly known as Taiwan.
stations in major cities that offer local