According to a local news site Daily NC, North Korea recently began the process of upgrading its mobile network to 4G using used equipment purchased mostly from Huawei. The upgrade initiative, which involves overhauling the existing 3G network infrastructure and laying the foundations for 4G services, reportedly began in October.

Major cities such as Pyongyang, Nampo, Pyeongseong, Sariwon, Wonsan, and Hamhung experienced the first wave of this upgrade. Improvements include the installation of 4G repeaters, remote monitors and amplifiers for radio transmission and reception, and updated signal processing controls at base transceiver stations.

Daily NC It is also stated that the construction of 4G towers continues in many regions. The target is to complete more than 80% of the planned base stations by 2025. Currently, 4G services are mostly available in central areas of Pyongyang.

An anonymous source said: Daily NC : “People who have subscribed to the new network say the signal is really good, with no interruptions when browsing the intranet or watching programmes.”

However, the source added that there are limitations because the signal weakens significantly when users are away from base stations. This has reportedly led to some reluctance among North Koreans to switch to 4G, as mobile devices in the country do not automatically switch back to 3G in areas with poor 4G reception.

Only 28.3% of North Korea’s population of 26.2 million has a telephone connection. The country’s approach to mobile technology has historically lagged behind the global trend and mostly adopted older generation technologies. They entered the 2G era in 2002, long after the global 3G wave, and followed a similar pattern as 3G. Industry observers suspect 4G and 5G will follow suit.