Wireless Federation

DoCoMo launched LTE in Japan

On 01.06.11, In Mobile, By Editor

NTT DoCoMo has launchecd its LTE service on Christmas Eve. DoCoMo launched the service, branded Xiâ€ (pronounced crossyâ€), in the urban centers of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, with data speeds up to 37.5 Mbps for the downlink and 12.5 Mbps for the uplink outdoors, and up to 75 Mbps downlink speeds for indoor users.

Users traveling out of LTE range will be handed over seamlessly to DoCoMo’s 3G network.

However, the service is only being offered as a data-only service for laptop users. DoCoMo stated that it plans to introduce LTE-compatible handsets, including voice service over its 3G network, by March 2012.

In the case of Xi, DoCoMo revealed that it will have spent over $400 million on its LTE network by March this year, by which time it will cover 7% of the population with about 1,000 base stations.

DoCoMo plans to spend over $3.6 billion on network build-out by March 2013, with 15,000 base stations serving 40% of the population, and 70% coverage planned by March 2015.

DoCoMo also revealed that it expects 25% of its 3G user base (around 15 million subscribers) to migrate to Xi by March 2015.

On the other hand, DoCoMo is also banking on LTE and subsequent new content services like cloud computing and augmented reality apps to boost its data revenues well beyond voice. The operator aims to hit a consolidated operating income target of at least $10 billion by the end of its fiscal year ending in March 2013.

ZTE begins to deploy UQ’s WiMAX pico base stations

On 12.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Chinese equipment vendor ZTE has begun to deploy WiMAX pico base stations for UQ Communications, KDDI’s WiMAX joint venture with Intel Capital, East Japan Railway Company, Kyocera Corp, Daiwa Securities Group and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi.

UQ had launched commercial services in the country in July 2009, initially in parts of greater Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, but subsequently extended coverage to all major cities by the end of fiscal 2010.

ZTE is supplying and installing its ZXMBW E9201 units under the contract which it claims was selected by the WiMAX operator because of its small size, light weight, zero footprint, flexible installation and rapid deployment.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi • Chinese equipment vendor ZTE • Daiwa Securities Group • East Japan Railway Company • Intel Capital • Japan • KDDI • Kobe • Kyocera Corp • Kyoto • Mobile • Nagoya • Osaka • pico base stations • Tokyo • UQ • WiMAX • ZXMBW E9201

NTT expands support staff for Japanese smartphone users 10-FOLD

On 11.19.10, In Mobile, By Editor

To better help smartphone users, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) has increased assistance providers 10-fold to about 2,500 and will send highly knowledgeable salespeople to all of its shops by next fall.

The mobile carrier receives 4,000 to 5,000 smartphone inquiries a day, with 70 per cent of them concerning Google Inc’s Android operating system. Previously, 250 support staff in Tokyo and Okinawa handled all such calls.

Now, calls regarding smartphones can be taken by any of the company’s customer support centers across the country, since some 2,500 employees have undergone smartphone training. A support manual including Q-and-As has been prepared as well.

DoCoMo will also dispatch sales staffs that have earned internal certification for their smartphone expertise to all of its 2,400 retail shops by the end of next September. Currently there are only 20 such qualified salespeople, most of them in greater Tokyo.

DoCoMo’s smartphone sales are targeted at 1 million handsets in fiscal 2010. The company expects half of its customers to own smartphones in three to four years.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 10-FOLD • Android • DoCoMo • Google • Japan • Mobile • NTT • Okinawa • smartphone • Tokyo

Telecom director to continue with Japan role

On 11.17.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Dr. Sachio Semmoto who resigned yesterday from his post because of his health conditions but the Telecom’s board will not force him into retirement in Japan.

According to the spokesperson for Tokyo-based eAccess, the company could confirm Dr Semmoto would remain as representative director and chairman of eAccess, as well as its mobile subsidiary eMobile.

According to the company, it would not replace Dr Semmoto because of the uncertainty the company faced due to the Government’s ultrafast broadband initiative.

Dr Semmoto holds a visiting professorship at Canterbury University’s management department; however staff at the department was unable to confirm whether he remained actively engaged with the university.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Broadband • Canterbury University • Director • Dr. Sachio Semmoto • eAccess • Japan • Mobile • New Zealand • telecom • Tokyo

DoCoMo to launch LTE on 24 December (Japan)

On 11.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

DoCoMo has announced that it will begin offering LTE services in several regions across Japan from 24 December. Called Xi (crossy), the service will primarily provide mobile data connectivity via a USB dongle.

At launch the operator’s new high-speed mobile network will be able to support speeds of up to 37.5 Mbps on the downlink and 12.5 Mbps on the uplink. However, as per DoCoMo, its LTE service will reach downlink speeds of 75 Mbps in some buildings.

According to the company, voice calls using Xi will become possible sometime within the fiscal year starting in April 2011, when DoCoMo will begin launching LTE-compatible mobile phones.

Xi services will be launched in Tokyo as well as parts of Osaka, Chiba, Aichi and Kanagawa prefectures, and extended to other major cities and regions between April 2011 and April 2012.

Xi will be launched with two monthly tariffs, the Xi Data Plan, which offers up to 5 GB of data per month for US$$98, and the more affordable Xi Data Plan Ninen, which offers up to 5 GB of data per month for US$80 on a two-year contract.

Additionally, DoCoMo is aiming to tempt consumers with lower priced introductory offers that limit the cost of unlimited data usage at US$60 for Xi Data Plan Ninen customers and US$78 for Xi Data Plan customers. The offer will run until April 2012.

As per the company, billing plans for Xi voice services will be announced later.

DoCoMo’s LTE launch will make Japan the fourth market in the world to offer live LTE services, joining, Sweden, Norway, Uzbekistan and the U.S.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Aichi • Chiba • DoCoMo • Japan • Kanagawa • LTE services • Mobile • Norway • Osaka • Sweden • Tokyo • U.S. • USA • USB dongle • Uzbekistan • Xi • Xi Data Plan • Xi Data Plan Ninen

DoCoMo to deploy LTE network with US$3.3 billion investment (Japan)

On 11.08.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Japan’s DoCoMo has announced that it expects to spend US$3.3 billion to deploy its LTE network to the country’s major cities over the next two years. The initial rollout will be in about 1,000 base stations in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya and will cost around US$400 million by the end of March 2011.

The network operator is planning to add an additional 4,000 base stations in the next fiscal year, starting in April 2011, at a cost of US$1.2 billion, increasing the coverage to 20% of the population, up from the initial 7% at launch.

The third phase will take the company until March 2013, when the company will add a further 15,000 base stations to reach around 40% of the population.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: DoCoMo • initial rollout • Japan • LTE network • Mobile • Nagoya • Osaka • Tokyo

NTT DoCoMo Plans Two-year Investment in LTE (Japan)

On 10.30.10, In Mobile, By Editor

NTT DoCoMo plans to invest US$3.3 billion over the next two years for launching next-generation LTE cellular data service to major cities across Japan.

The company is spending US$434.87 million this fiscal year (April 2010 to March 2011) on an initial roll-out of the technology to Tokyo and two other major cities.

According to the company, the latest investment plan, disclosed as part of the carrier’s quarterly earning announcement, puts three-year spending on LTE at US$3.7 billion. DoCoMo had previously stated that it would spend between US$3.72 billion and US$4.97billion over five years, so the latest figures add a little more detail to that plan.

As per the company, LTE is new packet data transmission technology that’s based on IP, the same basic protocol as the Internet. It’s seen as a replacement for current 3G networks and promises faster data transfers. Its network will support speeds of up to 75Mbps.

The service is scheduled to launch in December in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya from around 1,000 base stations.

According to the carrier’s plans, the LTE service will launch with data modems for personal computers. A personal Wi-Fi hotspot device will be offered around the middle of 2011 and cell phones with LTE will be available in late 2011. Details of the service and initial pricing plans will be disclosed in a Tokyo news conference on Nov. 8.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G network • internet • IP • Japan • LTE • Mobile • Nagoya • NTT DoCoMo • Osaka • protocol • Tokyo • Wi-Fi

Sony Ericsson incarcerate Japan smartphone incising Apple’s lead

On 10.27.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Sony Ericsson is acquiring the Japanese market with its new and attractive handsets. According to MM Research Institute Ltd, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB’s Xperia captured 21% of Japan’s smartphone market in the six months ended September, cutting the share of Apple Inc.’s iPhone.

As per Tadayuki Shinozaki, an analyst at the Tokyo-based research, devices running on Apple’s software accounted for 60% of all smart phone shipments in the nation during the period, down from 61% a year earlier. Xperia, which runs Google Inc.’s Android software, went on sale in Japan on April 1.

According to reports, Sharp Corp., which introduced its first Android model in June, had 6.3 % of the shipments. Toshiba Corp. and handsets made by Taiwan’s HTC Corp., which run on Android and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows software, had the same share of 4.5%.

Softbank Corp., Japan’s third-largest mobile-phone operator, is the exclusive provider of the iPhone in Japan. Xperia operates only on the network of NTT DoCoMo Inc., the country’s largest wireless carrier.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Android • Apple • Google Inc • HTC Corp • iPhone • Japan • Microsoft Corp • MM Research Institute Ltd • Mobile • NTT DoCoMo Inc. • Sharp Corp • smartphone • Softbank Corp • Sony Ericsson • Taiwan • Tokyo • Toshiba Corp. • windows • Xperia

Softbank to buy 100% stakes of Willcom

On 10.18.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Softbank, a Japanese operator has agreed to acquire 100% stakes of struggling personal handyphone service (PHS) operator Willcom.

As per the reports, the deal will go ahead if the Tokyo district court approves Willcom’s rehabilitation plan.

The acquisition would award an extra 3.9 million subscribers to Softbank, taking its total to 27 million and narrowing the gap between closest rival KDDI, with its 32 million subscribers.

As per the initial proposal, Softbank and investment firm Advantage Partners were to spin-off Willcom’s next-gen PHS into a new business. But the plan only involved providing financial assistance for the legacy PHS unit.

But in August, Softbank had announced that it had agreed to the Willcom trustee’s request to provide direct assistance to the PHS unit as well.

Willcom is unable to battle efficiently against Softbank, KDDI and NTT DoCoMo. Its customer base is very small compared to the overall market size of 116.3 million mobile phone and PHS subscribers as of the end of March.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: handyphone service • Japan • KDDI • Mobile • NTT DoCoMo • PHS • Softbank • Tokyo • Willcom

IBM collaborate with varsities in India and Japan to make mobile devices more accessible

On 03.15.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

IBM is embarking on a research project to design mobile gadgets which will be easy to use for people with disabilities or those who are not fully literate.

The institute has collaborated with India’s National Institute of Design and the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advance Science and Technology.

The aim of the collaboration is to develop a common interface for mobile devices that will make the gadgets easier to use.

According to Chieko Asakawa, an IBM Fellow and chief technology officer of IBM’s accessibility research, through this collaborative research initiative, the institute will uncover real information accessibility requirements and issues that the elderly and people in developing economies are facing everyday.

He is also of the opinion that by focusing on mobile devices, which have a tremendous potential to empower them, the findings will help them offer affordable services to large population who are still deprived of access to key information sources.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: India • Japan • Mobile • mobile devices • OTE • Tokyo