SEOUL (Reuters) – Up to 7 million North Koreans use cell phones daily, and WiFi networks have sharply expanded in recent years as the mobile devices have increasingly become a key tool for market activity in the isolated country, US researchers said on Tuesday.
Martyn Williams and Natalia Slavney of the Washington-based Stimson Center’s 38 North program say their latest study on digital communications in North Korea, which includes an analysis of satellite imagery and a survey of about 40 defectors who fled the North between 2017 and 2021, shows a stable rise in cellular subscribers.
Since 3G network services began in 2008, the number of users has risen to 6.5 million to 7 million, more than a quarter of North Korea’s 25 million population, the researchers said.
“More than 90% of the people who participated in the survey reported using the phone at least daily, and most of the calls were made to family members and traders,” Slavney told a briefing.
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They showed an estimated coverage map of North Korea’s cellular network by identifying base stations, accompanying antennas and solar panels from satellite images, which Williams said suggested the service is available not only
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