North Korea has banned all satellite Internet connections and Wi-Fi networks used by foreign embassies and international organizations operating in the isolated state, reports said this week.
The state authorities cited national security as the reason for the restrictions, adding that embassies and NGOs must seek a license to use wireless Internet.
"Signals of regional wireless networks, installed and being used without license, produce some effect upon our surroundings...Therefore, it is kindly notified that the regional wireless network is abolished here," said a notification from the State Radio Regulatory Department, obtained by NK News.
Foreigners in the North were ordered to end their Wi-Fi installations before Thursday. Violators may be fined up to $11,326 (11.7 million won).
A decree document noted that satellite Internet access “allows for foreigners to send information and data at almost no risk of interception from local authorities.”
Internet access and information sharing have been highly-controlled in the despotic country since the late founder Kim Il-sung seized power.
While the Internet is generally outlawed, some people in the country have been able to access it. Kookmin University scholar Andrei Lankov recently wrote that some foreign embassies have connected to Chinese Internet providers and that foreigners have been able to access the Web at Internet cafes.
Foreigners visiting North Korea have also been able to access social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, using a network operated by the country's mobile operator Koryolink, which is a joint venture between Egypt's Orascom Telecom and North Korea.As for North Koreans, only the very privileged can get Internet access. These people include those involved in the military or intelligence gathering, or a few privileged research centers, Lankov said.
The Internet appears to be a growing headache for the regime. Reports suggest that home prices near foreign embassies in Pyongyang have jumped as citizens seek to gain access to their Wi-Fi systems.
“The Internet remains a hot potato for the North Korean leaders,” the professor wrote. “They understand its importance, but they do not know what to do about its political dangers. While facing such a choice, they have always opted for political security.”