Please take a moment to review our new 5×5.wirelesswatch.jp website. Indeed, The ®evolution Continues. Yoroshiku!
Please take a moment to review our new 5×5.wirelesswatch.jp website. Indeed, The ®evolution Continues. Yoroshiku!
Archives
February 28, 2007
Flat-Rate Data Plan Saved 10,000 Euro
We noted an interesting post on a local mobile developer’s site, which points out out how much money their flat-rate data plan saved the company in January. According to the scanned statement of the DoCoMo bill; “By using the pakehoudai option [a JPY 3,900 service plan option for unlimited usage of i-mode data traffic] you saved 1.67 million JPY this month.” They calculated the data packets used total just over 1GB (that’s hardcore — Eds) which would have cost approx. 10,000 Euro under the regular per packet billing model. Yikes!
Via: Infinita
Looking at Chikara-san’s DoCoMo bill this morning made all our jaws drop in perfect synch.
Doing a quick calculation, we established that he had used a total 1.07 GB of i-mode data packets in January… which only cost him the equivalent of $32. Now, 1.07 GB of i-mode data packets equals VERY heavy usage, but it goes to show that flat rate data plans definitely make sense. It’s for a good reason that – even in Japan – the mobile internet in general, and mobile content downloads specifically, only really took off after au KDDI pioneered the concept of flat rate data plans, followed soon after by DoCoMo and the then-still-Vodafone SoftBank Mobile: freeing the user from any concerns whether he may have to file for personal bankruptcy because he looked up the train schedule on his handset one too many times is key to adoption. Non-Japanese operators (with a few notable exceptions, yes I know), please take note.
Related posts:
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!