North Korea has finally started upgrading network services from 3G to 4G, but this network upgrade has actually been delayed for a long time.According to reports, North Korea imported second-hand LTE base stations from China and plans to use these equipment, mainly from Huawei, to upgrade existing 3G networks in six cities, including the capital.
North Korea has a population of 26.2 million and currently has two 3G network operators. According to statistics, only 28.3% of its population may have mobile connections, all of which are prepaid, and only a quarter of people have smartphones.
The report also mentioned that people who have used the new network said that the signal is very good and there will be no interruptions when browsing the intranet or watching programs.
However, the signal disappears when users move away from the base station, the source added. This has prompted North Koreans to wait for 4G coverage to improve significantly across the country before using the new network.
North Korea has a population of 26.2 million and currently has two 3G network operators. GSMA Mobile Think Tank data shows that as of 2023, Byol has 7.1 million 3G connections and Koryolink has 400,000.
About 28.3% of people have a mobile connection, but these are prepaid subscribers, and only a quarter own a smartphone. Mobile connections will grow at an annual rate of less than 3% in 2023, while smartphone connections will grow by nearly 12% to 1.9 million.
Currently, 4G services are mainly provided in the central area of the capital Pyongyang.