DoCoMo to Abolish 2G by 2012
There hasn’t been much noise about it, but several media outlets are reporting that NTT DoCoMo has said it will stop offering 2G service by 2012 as 3G technology goes mainstream; Kyodo, Yahoo News, and AFP have all carried this item. If you’ve seen the popularity of 3G FOMA and CDMA WIN in Tokyo, the news of 2G’s slow demise on Japan’s biggest carrier will come as no surprise.
The only news that’s new in this regard is how 2G will make its exit from the mainstream of Japan’s cellular industry. While there’s always some risk in extending a metaphor, there is no doubt that, given this country’s long tradition of making splashy exits, the manner of Mova’s shut-down is as important as the fact itself.
For a solid introduction on how Big D will wring every last sen of profit out of the obsolete 2G network, look no further than our own in-depth review of the new niche Mova phones to be released during the year-end shopping season, including the ultra-small PreminiS, the predictably pink Lechiffon, the business-targeted Prosolid, and the faintly iPod-ish Music Porter.
You can also read the more prosaic facts, as reported by several of the media channels mentioned above.