North Korea may be lacking a lot of things, but 3G technology is not one of them. In a recent announcement, Egyptian telecom company Orascom confirmed the launch of a 3G network in the Asian country, an investment which apparently will cost them $400 million.

For the time being, the network will only cover Pyongyang, but officials said other cities will be included as well, possibly within the next year. Orascom won the mobile license for North Korea at the beginning of the year, when it said it was planning on offering voice and data services, with accessible prices for consumers. The 3G will be operated by Cheo Technology.
Unfortunately for consumers and visitors, North Korea has not changed its priorities, and the network is unlikely to be used by anything other than officials and government agencies.

Furthermore, even if it were available to regular consumers, the country is known to have a disastrous economy, so 3G services would probably not be among their priorities.

North Korea is not at its first attempt to establish a cellular network in the country. In 2003, such a network was launched, but due to a 2004 incident, the cell phone use has practically become inexistent. Four years ago, a train explosion in which 160 people were killed broke the communication lines. Authorities reportedly believed the incident was an assassination attempt against Kim Jong Il.

People are reportedly using cell phones and weak signals from China’s network to communicate. Orascom is the first foreign company to receive a North Korean telecommunications license.