North Korea sees more use of cell phones, WiFi networks: U.S. researchers

SEOUL: Up to 7 million North Koreans use cell phones daily, and WiFi networks have sharply expanded in recent years as the mobile devices increasingly became a key tool for market activity in the isolated country, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

Martyn Williams and Natalia Slavney of the Washington-based Stimson Center’s 38 North programme say their latest study on digital communications in North Korea, which included an analysis of satellite imagery and a survey of about 40 defectors who fled the North between 2017 and 2021, shows a stable rise in cellular subscribers.