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North Korea to grant mobile internet access to visitors, but not citizens

In just a few days, visitors to North Korea will be able to surf the web from 3G-enabled devices. According to the Associated Press, customers of telecom company Koryolink living in Pyongyang received word that the firm will launch a 3G internet service exclusively for foreigners no later than March 1st. While citizens of North Korea have access to things including MMS, video calls, and a subscription to the state-run newspaper over 3G, a connection to the global internet will remain exclusive to a small, approved slice of the population using broadband. Foreigners will be able to purchase a monthly service plan for use with a USB modem or their very own SIM card. It's hard to say if Eric Schmidt's trip nudged the country and the service provider to change their tune, but in any case we're hoping Señor Schmidt will consider visiting Cuba as well.

[Image credit: (stephan), Flickr]