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North Korea cellphone boom
Secretive North Korea is expected to register the one millionth cellphone user on its new 3G network by the end of the year, barely four years after people were thrown into prison camps, or possibly even executed, for owning one. Most of the users are in the capital of Pyongyang, home to the impoverished country’s elite who have the cash to splash out for a device and the calling fees. “There has been an astronomical increase since even two years ago,” said Michael Hay, a lawyer and business consultant based in the capital for the past seven years. Two years ago, there were fewer than 70,000 users. “All the waitresses in coffee shops have them, as one example, and use them. Let’s not even talk about businessmen. They are never off them.”