North Korea recently began accepting subscribers to the country’s new 4G cellular network, but many people appear to be waiting to subscribe until 4G coverage improves throughout the country.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in North Korea told Daily NK in a phone conversation on Dec. 21 that North Korea is “accepting subscribers for 4G cellular services.”
However, the authorities have completed the construction of 4G cell towers in only some areas of the country.
“New and used equipment and supplies for 4G mobile services were imported from China,” the source said. “Technical manuals [for 4G] came from China, too. The leading central government organizations pushing 4G services are the Cabinet and the Non-permanent Economic Development Committee, while the Information Technology Bureau issues technological guidance directives. Provincial, city and county post offices and mobile communication centers organize the implementation of the project, with local people’s committees lending help as well.”
Daily NK reported in October that North Korea imported communications equipment from China to build 3G and 4G cellular networks.
A smartphone advertisement with the slogans “4G” in English and Korean appeared in images of the “Light Industry Development-2023” exhibition published by the North Korean propaganda outlet “DPRK Today,” sparking speculation that the country was commercializing 4G services.
Daily NK has now confirmed that North Korea is accepting 4G subscribers and starting services in some regions. North Korean authorities tell the public that the new cellular network is “faster than you can imagine” and that its signal reaches underground — where services were previously limited — and other places where signals have normally been weak.
In short, North Korea is recruiting subscribers by stressing that 4G users no longer need to worry about signal strength.
“I understand that [4G services] are in use only in the central districts of Pyongyang so far,” the source told Daily NK. “People who have subscribed to the new network say the signal is really good, with no interruptions when browsing the intranet or watching shows.”
However, he said the signal almost wholly disappears when users are far from a base station and, as a result, “people with 4G devices are holding on to their 3G devices, using both phones together.”
Mobile devices in South Korea automatically switch to 3G when 4G signals are unavailable. North Korean phones, however, do not automatically revert to 3G. Daily NK was unable to determine whether this is due to technical issues or because the government has deliberately disabled that function on the phones.
“You can use 4G with domestically made smartphones like the Jindallae, Hwawon, Madusan, Chongsong, Chollyong and Arirang,” the source said. “[The authorities] are implementing the project with the goal of constructing over 80% of planned cell towers by 2025.”
However, few people are rushing to subscribe to 4G services, with many adopting a wait-and-see approach.
“People think there’s no real need to buy [a 4G device] until there are at least three 4G towers [nearby],” the source said. “[Only] people with money are buying 4G devices at this point.
“It’s not too much trouble to use 3G devices because if the signal is weak, you can just go somewhere where it’s strong, or if you’re out of service range, you can just go somewhere where there’s service,” he continued, adding: “Since most people think they can simply buy 4G devices when the 4G system works well everywhere, they’re ignoring 4G services for now.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
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