In a development almost too bizarre to believe, the Government of North Korea has reportedly banned mobile phone use throughout the country after having rolled out the technology in November 2002. The country’s leaders apparently believe that mobile phones provide too much access to foreign culture and uncensored information.
Although many technologically backward countries deploy mobile phone technology to significantly increase the ratio of phones to total population, North Korea places a priority on censorship and isolating its people within the country’s borders. Banning mobile phones certainly would send the message that they are serious about maintaining cultural isolation. [ AFP via MobileBurn ]