Eric Schmidt North Korea: Google’s Eric Schmidt Back From North Korea

Eric Schmidt North Korea: Earlier this month, we brought you a story about Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) chairman Eric Schmidt visiting North Korea. Now that he is back in the United States, everybody is interested in learning more about his time in the country. Was he able to change the culture of the internet? Did the trip do any good?

If you are interested in learning more about Schmidt’s trip, you don’t have to look any further than his Google+ page. It is here that Schmidt gives a nice sized rundown of his trip, including some of the finer details that the world has been craving.

Here is some background information from the post, touching on the basic status of technology in North Korea at the present time:

“Overall, the technology in North Korea is very limited right now.”

“There is a 3G network that is a joint venture with an Egyptian company called Orascom. It is a 2100 Megahertz SMS-based technology network, that does not, for example, allow users to have a data connection and use smart phones. It would be very easy for them to turn the Internet on for this 3G network. Estimates are that are about a million and a half phones in the DPRK with some growth planned in the near future.”

Schmidt goes on to discuss the finer workings of the supervised internet offered by the country as well as the Korean Intranet:

“There is a supervised Internet and a Korean Intranet. (It appeared supervised in that people were not able to use the internet without someone else watching them). There’s a private intranet that is linked with their universities. Again, it would be easy to connect these networks to the global Internet.”

At this time, there is no bigger name in the online world than Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). While Schmidt claims that his trip to North Korea had nothing to do with official Google business, it is safe to say that his knowledge and experience came into play during his time in the country.

Here is what he added concerning the future of the internet and technology in North Korea:

“As the world becomes increasingly connected, the North Korean decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to affect their physical world and their economic growth. It will make it harder for them to catch up economically.”

“We made that alternative very, very clear. Once the internet starts in any country, citizens in that country can certainly build on top of it, but the government has to do one thing: open up the Internet first. They have to make it possible for people to use the Internet, which the government of North Korea has not yet done. It is their choice now, and in my view, it’s time for them to start, or they will remain behind.”

What do you think now of Schmidt’s trip to North Korea? Is there any way that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) could step in to help?

Check back here for more updates on Eric Schmidt North Korea.

DISCLOSURE: I have no positions in any stock mentioned.

For more news, visit these stories:

Is Google Inc’s Schmidt Heading to North Korea?

Google Inc Chairman Eric Schmidt: Android Winning Mobile Battle with Apple Inc.

Google Inc Targeted by British PM Over Taxes