NTT DoCoMo said on Friday it plans to launch a flat-rate wireless Web access service using its personal handyphone system (PHS) network, in a bid to shore up its flagging PHS operation. NTT DoCoMo said on Friday it plans to launch a flat-rate wireless Web access service using its personal handyphone system (PHS) network, in a bid to shore up its flagging PHS operation.

In launching a flat-rate service, DoCoMo would be following in the footsteps of DDI Pocket, a unit of rival KDDI Corp which boosted its PHS subscriber base, despite an overall decline in PHS users, after launching a flat-rate Internet access service in 2001.

NTT DoCoMo said on Friday it plans to launch a flat-rate wireless Web access service using its personal handyphone system (PHS) network, in a bid to shore up its flagging PHS operation. In launching a flat-rate service, DoCoMo would be following in the footsteps of DDI Pocket, a unit of rival KDDI Corp which boosted its PHS subscriber base, despite an overall decline in PHS users, after launching a flat-rate Internet access service in 2001. DDI Pocket’s service quickly became popular with users of notebook computers and other portable devices. In contrast to DDI Pocket’s operating profit of 9.1 billion yen in the half year to last September, DoCoMo’s PHS division posted an operating loss of 15.6 billion yen in the same period. CONTINUE

COMMENTARY: This service would directly compete with DDI Pocket’s well-established and very successful flat-rate PHS data service (which is also available through a number of resellers). DoCoMo hasn’t announced pricing, but the Nikkei said the service should start on April 1 at a monthly rate of 4,880 yen (DDI Pocket charges an average of 4,930 yen – but it’s much more expensive for the high-speed 128-kbps option). Note that Big D has already had flat-rate (but tiered) pricing for PHS data for some time. The P-p@c 10 and P-p@c 20 plans provide up to 600 minutes (10 hours) of data transmission time for a flat charge of 2,500 yen, and up to 1,200 minutes (20 hours) of data transmission time for a flat charge of 3,200 yen, respectively.

PHS data cards work extremely well, offers 64 or 128 kbps speeds, and its a profitable business. DoCoMo was also handing out promo brochures yesterday in Ginza for its PHS-based M Stage-series of audio and video clip download services. It looks like they are desperate to do anything to boost packet and multimedia data usage among the non-FOMA-using public, even if such packets and services run on PHS – an ancient, coal-fired technology.

Related posts:

1. Mobile Flat-Rate Voice Planned
2. DoCoMo to Expand Flat-rate Data Tariffs
3. DoCoMo to Expand Flat-Rate Services
4. DoCoMo Enables High-Speed Flat-Rate for PC
5. Family Flat Rate Voice Plan

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