DoCoMo to Expand 3G Service Area
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that beginning December 6, 2003, the service area for DoCoMo’s FOMA 3G mobile phones will cover 99.4% of the population in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region. Its eight regional subsidiaries will also expand FOMA service to an area encompassing approximately 98% of the nationwide population by the end of December. DoCoMo will continue to enlarge its FOMA service area, targeting 99% coverage of Japan’s population by the end of March 2004.
In addition, DoCoMo will increase the number of FOMA base stations in existing service areas to upgrade service quality. Base stations will be expanded to 3,200 locations in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region and 10,700 nationwide by the end of December. This includes expanding In-building Mobile Communication Systems to 358 locations in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region and about 800 nationwide, which will enable wider use of FOMA service in high-rise buildings, underground shopping areas and train stations. The number of subway stations with FOMA access will increase from seven to 52 as a result.*Note: Kanto-Koshinetsu includes greater Metropolitan Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Gunma, Niigata, Yamanashi, and Nagano. Continue >>