7 million ‘isolated’ North Koreans use cell phones daily, WiFi expanded: Report

North Korea: The number of users have risen to 6.5 million to 7 million, more than a quarter of North Korea's 25 million population.

Up to 7 million North Koreans use cell phones daily and WiFi networks have sharply expanded in the recent years, US researchers said adding that mobile devices are increasingly becoming key tools for market activity in the isolated country.

North Korea: A man looks at the view near a window (R) displaying the distance to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, at the landmark Namsan Tower in Seoul. (AFP)

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

"More than 90% of the people who participated in the survey reported using the phone at least daily, and most of the calls were made to family members and traders," Natalia Slavney said.

The number of users have risen to 6.5 million to 7 million, more than a quarter of North Korea's 25 million population, the researchers said. 3G network services began in North Korea in 2008.

"The cellular coverage is still expanding, sometimes we're finding base stations where if you look at the same area two years ago, the antenna was not there," Martyn Williams said.

“For the last five to 10 years, the rise of the private economy and private marketplaces was one of the biggest changes in the country. In a way, one of the pillars of the entire market economy is the wide availability of basic telephone and text messaging,” Martyn Williams added.