Orascom

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In January 2008, North Korea granted a license to provide a mobile phone service in North Korea to CHEO Technology. CHEO technology was also 25% owned by the state-run Korea Post and Telecommunications Corporation and 75% owned by Orascom. It would provide services throughout the country over 25 years with exclusivity period of four years. Orascom Telecom would invest USD 400 million in network infrastructure to offer voice, data and value-added services at accessible prices to the general public. In December 2008, Orascom Telecom started mobile service in North Korea and its 3G network, ‘Koryo-link’ would initially cover the capital, Pyongyang, with its population of more than 2 million, and later be extended to the entire country. Koryolink, North Korea's domestic cellular phone network provider, reached 535,133 users in the January-March period this year, up from 431,919 users in the final quarter of last year, Egyptian parent company Orascom said in its 2010 Annual Report. Orascom annnual report hasn't been published yet for 2012 (April 2013). 2011 annual report doesn't have North Korea specific information on subscribers or capex. Orascom spent US$ 816 million as capex for 2011 and has 78 million subscribers as of Dec 31 2011 worldwide. Since the subscirbers and Capex in the annual report for North Korea is categorized in to the "others," along with other countries, it's tricky to calculate the NK numbers out of the global figures. (April 2013)