DoCoMo Ending Prepaid Phones

NTT DoCoMo plans to stop accepting new subscribers for its prepaid mobile phone services by the end of March as they are increasingly used in crimes, company officials said Tuesday. Prepaid cellphones under existing contracts can be used for the time being, but NTT DoCoMo plans to discontinue prepaid mobile phone services after a transitional period of two to three years. DoCoMo had 81,000 prepaid cellphone subscribers as of the end of last year, accounting for only 3 percent of overall prepaid phone users. 

Last September, NTT DoCoMo said it will discontinue the prepaid phone services without specifying any date. But other mobile phone service providers have decided to continue prepaid phone services. Prepaid cellphones involved in crimes are limited and discontinuing such services will be an inconvenience to the public, they have said.