North Korean authorities are concentrating their efforts on preventing people from illegally using the popular WiFi network “Mirae,” Daily NK has learned.<\/p>\n
A source in North Korea told Daily NK last Thursday that \u201cmany people\u201d use Mirae, a \u201cwireless indoor and outdoor intranet service network.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n According to her, \u201cIt works well around Pyongyang, Pyongsong and Nampo, but it doesn\u2019t work well in provincial areas or places with a low density of base stations.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n North Korea announced in 2018 that smartphone users could access the state network through an app called the \u201cMirae public wireless data communications network.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n However, the wireless network’s reach in many regions still appears to be poor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo use Mirae, you need to bring a residency card, citizen card and a mobile phone or tablet computer with a SIM card in your own name to a service center or post office,\u201d said the source. \u201cYou then buy a Mirae SIM card and install it [in the device].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Most North Korean smartphones have slots for two SIM cards. One slot appears to be for a USIM to enable use of the phone, while the other is for the telecom network’s USIM.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The source said users need to register the Mirae SIM card in their own name after purchasing it with a residency card or citizen card.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAfter using the SIM card to verify your identity, you can access the state public wireless data communications network. Only then can you access all the programs [on the device],\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n