Orascom has announced that its historic 3G network launch in North Korea will be known as ‘Koryolink’ and confirmed that the operation will be a joint-venture between Orascom Telecom Holding (75 percent) and the local state-owned body, Korea Posts and Telecomm Corp (KPTC), which will hold the remaining 25 percent. In its first official communication regarding the launch, Orascom said the network would initially be deployed in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital city with a population of some 2 million, and marked the first stage in an “ambitious plan” to expand the network across the entire country. “This is not just about providing 3G mobile services; we are making history in a country that is developing and opening up in a remarkable way,” said Naguib Sawiris, Orascom’s chairman and CEO.

Orascom’s license in the country – officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or DPRK – reportedly allows it to offer mobile services over a 25-year period with an exclusivity period of four years. The company is expected to invest US$400 million in network infrastructure in the country over the next three years. Orascom has also brushed aside concerns that the authoritarian nature of the state will severely limit the number of people able to access mobile devices and services.