EAccess to Invest $4 bn in 3G

EAccess Ltd., Japan’s third-largest Internet services provider, plans to invest as much as $4 billion to build a 3G mobile network in Japan, Chief Executive Sachio Semmoto said. “We’re pretty confident we can build a 3G network nationwide,” Semmoto said in an interview at the Idate technology conference in Montpellier, France. The company will invest “at least” $3 to $4 billion in the next two to four years, the executive said.  

EAccess will pick the equipment suppliers for its network by the end of December, Semmoto said. The company is aiming to provide network coverage to more than 85 percent of Japan’s population within two years, according to the executive. “3G is now becoming somewhat more mature, investment-wise,” Semmoto said. The costs of building a 3G network are falling as “vendors like Alcatel or Ericsson start providing large volumes and the prices start coming down sharply.” eAccess aims for 5.05 million customers on 15,210 network stations. Full article Here.