SAN JOSE – North Korea’s sole 3G cellular network operator hit two million subscribers, it said late Tuesday.

The company, which is a joint venture between Egypt’s Orascom Media and Technology Holding and the country’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, launched its service in the final days of 2008 and took until early 2012 to reach its first million subscribers.

“When we first acquired the license in North Korea, people thought the service will only be provided to a few privileged individuals,” Naguib Sawiris, executive chairman of OTMT, said in a statement. “We are very proud today to witness our subscriber