Radio Free North Korea Issues Satellite Phones to Its Correspondents
For a long time, I’d wondered if there was some way North Korea’s clandestine journalists could free themselves from the restrictions imposed by short-range Chinese cell phone networks. The only options I could think of were signal repeaters hidden on remote mountain tops, or satellite phones. I’d presumed the latter option to be too expensive, but I may have been wrong.
Free North Korea Radio, which broadcasts to the North on shortwave as well as running an Internet service, said the satphones give it access to information from more parts of the country.
“Three satellite phones, on top of cellphones, have been in use since last October to bring more live and direct news out of North Korea,” its head Kim Seong-Min told AFP. The three satellite phone operators are based in the capital Pyongyang and the southwest, Mr Kim added. He said they helped spread reports last week that Pak Nam-Ki, a top financial official, had been executed for a failed currency revaluation. [Radio Netherlands Media Network Blog]
The North Korean Freedom Coalition supports Radio Free North Korea with financial contributions.
This is great news.
The obvious advantage of satellite phones over cell phones is that you can be in any geographic location as long as you have a clear line up to the satellites, and that would mean all over the DPRK. Furthermore, you don’t have to use the Chinese cell phone system which, were the Beijing regime so inclined, could be manipulated or abused in a way that would make it easier to find you. The satellite phone is outside the control of the PRC or DPRK, no?
But the disadvantage, as far as I’m aware, is that you have to be outdoors in order to have a clear line of sight with the satellites, much like a GPS (think how your GPS unit ends up “out of range” when you go into a parking structure). Is this correct, or do the new ones work well inside, too? But at night, under the cover of darkness, or behind foliage, etc., this may not be too big a problem.
As for the cost, consider how much people spend on throwaway electronics. Maybe some can be persuaded to wait another year to get that new LG, and instead pool their sources to donate such things. I think the balloons with dollar bills attached are a great tool, but maybe some money can be diverted for a few thousand satellite phone as well.
I couldn’t agree more. Information is the enemy of the Kim regime – both going in and coming out. The more that is exchanged the better, and the more sources the better.
DEAR FRIENDS,
Two weeks ago together with my friend we created song for North Korea. I composed music and Lukasz Byrdy wrote Lirycs.
This is it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i61uAEy2T2Y
We hope, that this song could be helpful and give people faith for better life in Korea !!!
best wishes
your Filip