Year: <span>2004</span>
Year: 2004

Year: 2004

NEC Sells MIR Solution to Telefonica Moviles Espana

NEC Corporation today announced that it has received an order for its Messaging Intelligent Router MMS (MIR) solution from Telefonica Moviles Espana, S.A., Spain’s largest mobile operator with 18.7 million subscribers. With a population of 41.11 million people and an 83% mobile phone penetration rate, Spain boasts one of the highest levels of mobile phone penetration in Europe. The MIR Solution is a server software system that can easily be added on to existing MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and mail server systems of mobile operators. The MIR solution is an advanced, new method to extract necessary data from MMSs and transfer it to a charging system enabling flexible and attractive charging menus.

Mobile Internet Domains .mp

Open registration for dotMP has commenced and a wide spectrum of business and personal users from Europe, America and Asia have registered their .mp domain names and published mobile content on their dotMP sites. “dotMP is all about the creation of unique online identities and publishing Web and mobile content. We expected a diverse group of users but not this much diversity this quickly,” said Gib Bintliff, Saipan DataCom’s President.

DaTang Mobile and Dilithium Networks Unveil First TD-SCDMA Video Phone

DaTang Mobile successfully demonstrated the first TD-SCDMA Video Phone in Beijing this past week. The video phone, using the Dilithium Networks market leading 3G video telephony protocol stack, achieved high quality end-to-end video telephony with 15 frames/second video communications on 64 kb/s bearer. In addition to the basic video telephony function, DaTang Mobile also demonstrated the “Picture in Picture”, “Picture Shelter” and “Voice Shelter” enhanced functions. The demonstration also featured Dilithium Networks patent pending AnswerFast technology, which significantly reduces the session set-up time.

Vodafone Ships New 3G Phones

Vodafone K.K. have just announced they will commence sales of their new 3G handset lineup, the Vodafone 902/802/702-series, starting with Nokia’a V702NK [.jpg image] 8 December in the Kanto-Koshin region, 10 December in the Tokai and Kansai regions, and other areas following thereafter. New Vodafone live! 3G services like video call roaming, large-size mail, and streaming will also be offered from 8 December to coincide with the sales launch.

Recent Mobile Developments — UPDATE

In yesterday’s WWJ Newsletter I mentioned the news last month that DoCoMo had developed a software platform for FOMA 3G phones — comprising two options: both Linux and Symbian (sorry Bill!), adding “This is big news.” WWJ’s ever-keen Digital Media Director Lawrence Cosh-Ishii pointed out last night that, in December 2003, we carried a video report from Big D’s year-end presser wherein then-CEO Tachikawa said: “Simply speaking, Microsoft is not offering an open standard and an open minded approach” and that DoCoMo “prefers Symbian and possibly Linux for 3G OS.” Never let it be said that WWJ editors miss a chance to say We Told You So!

Virgin Plans Mobile JV in China

Virgin Group chief Richard Branson said he has earmarked $300 million for a cellular phone joint venture in China, the world’s largest mobile market by users. Branson, whose mobile operations resell other carriers’ service under the Virgin brand, aims to have a 50-50 venture with a Chinese partner in operation in 12 to 18 months. “The Chinese market is obviously the fastest-growing market in the world. Virgin will be foolish if it is not a player in the market,” Branson told reporters.

China Mobile Raises 3G Forecast

China Mobile Ltd., the world’s biggest carrier by subscribers, said on Tuesday it could spend up to 110 billion yuan ($13.29 billion) to build a nationwide 3G mobile network. The company is expected to start building its network shortly after receiving a 3G licence from the government. Market watchers expect that to happen around the middle of next year. In August, the company said the cost of a 3G network could be about 60 billion yuan in the first two to three years, calling the figure a “preliminary rough estimate”.

NEC Picks Ericsson for 3G

Japan’s NEC Corporation has selected Ericsson Mobile Platforms for use in the launch of its next generation global WCDMA/GPRS handsets. The first products to be made available within the first half of FY2005 (April 2005 – September 2005), will be based on the Ericsson U100 platform. NEC feels that with the addition of Ericsson Mobile Platforms to its portfolio, NEC will be ready to offer a wider range of 3G mobile terminals to meet the various demands of 3G mobile operators and end users.

Japan's Phones Are Coolest

When NTT DoCoMo unveiled its latest third-generation mobile phones on Nov. 17, gadget lovers were not disappointed. The new handsets, manufactured by five leading Japanese electronics makers, can download videos, play games, pay for groceries at convenience stores, and work as remote controls for TVs and other devices. Oh — they also make and receive phone calls. “This is the epitome of a 3G phone,” says Takeshi Natsuno, DoCoMo’s managing director for multimedia services. Not to be upstaged, Japan’s other carriers are putting the finishing touches on their own new phones, featuring everything from music downloads to international video-calling on super-sharp color displays.