NTT DoCoMo said on Thursday it expected the number of users of its high-speed 3G mobile phones to grow more than 15-fold to 25 million by 2006, helped by improved handsets and wider coverage. The two-year old service has just past the 1.6 million subscriber mark and now looks primed for huge growth in 2004.

Chief Executive Keiji Tachikawa told a regular news conference that he expects half of DoCoMo’s 50 million users in 2006 to be FOMA users. Meanwhile, DoCoMo has rebuffed Microsoft and is looking to Symbian and possibly Linux to provide OS for a smartphone rollout due sometime soon. Asked why it is excluding Microsoft from its new handsets, he said: “Openness is not guaranteed with Microsoft’s systems. If the issue were resolved, we would be happy to include Microsoft.” Continue >>

Related posts:

1. DoCoMo W-CDMA FOMA Adds 0.72 Million
2. DoCoMo Plows $343.8 Million into 3.5G HSDPA
3. 3G FOMA Subscribers Top 30 Million
4. DoCoMo FOMA Tops 2 Million, Calls H.K.
5. DoCoMo 3G Subscribers Top 20 Million

Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.

Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!