DoCoMo to Exit PHS Business

NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s largest mobile operator, plans to exit its money-losing personal handyphone system (PHS) business in two to three years and focus on its core mobile-phone service, the Nihon Keizai reported on Thursday. However, in an unusual move, DoCoMo’s International PR made the following comment about that report. The business daily said DoCoMo would stop accepting new customers for PHS as early as April.

DoCoMo, which is Japan’s second-largest provider of PHS services after Willcom Inc., expects to book a loss of about 60 billion yen ($569.3 million) in the current business year to March 31 to dispose of equipment and scale back its operations, the paper said. Full story here.

Meanwhile, DoCoMo International PR issued this statement:

NTT DoCoMo Comments on Report of Withdrawal from Personal Handyphone Business

Dear Journalist,

Today’s morning edition of the Nikkei Shimbun reported that NTT DoCoMo, Inc. plans to exit the personal handyphone system (PHS) business.

However, DoCoMo has not made any such announcement or decision.

For further inquiries, please contact:Manager, International PRPublic Relations DepartmentNTT DoCoMo, Inc.