Vodafone K.K. Acquires New 3G Trial License for 1.7GHz Spectrum
Vodafone K.K. announced today that it has acquired a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which was applied for on 27 April 2005, to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7GHz frequency band, marking the first time for an existing mobile operator in Japan to receive such a license. Vodafone K.K. currently offers 3G services on the 2GHz frequency band. However, due to an increasing number of 3G customer contracts and the proliferation of packet communication flat-rate services, a rapid increase in 3G traffic is expected, which would make current 2GHz frequency band capacity insufficient.
To avoid this issue, Vodafone K.K. applied for experimental radio station licenses
with a view to commercialisation. With this preliminary license, test emissions of radio spectrum will be possible, allowing Vodafone K.K. to commence construction of radio stations at planned sites and measure radio characteristics. After this work is completed and inspections are passed, Vodafone K.K. plans to acquire a field test license. Upon receiving a field test license, Vodafone K.K. plans to conduct field tests for approximately 6 months in Chiba Prefecture to investigate radio wave propagation characteristics and building
shadowing effects, as well as measure in-building penetration loss while operating on the 1.7GHz frequency band.
*Above data is current as of 31 May 2005.
About Vodafone K.K.
Vodafone K.K. is a leading mobile operator in Japan with nearly 15 million customers and a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc, the world?fs largest mobile community. The Tokyo-based company offers a wide range of sophisticated mobile voice and data services including Vodafone live!, which provides mail and internet access to 85% of its customers, and pioneered the picture messaging service called Sha-mail first introduced in November 2000. In December 2002, Vodafone K.K. launched the world?fs first commercial 3G W-CDMA service based on 3GPP international standards. Vodafone K.K.?fs 3G service offers its customers rich content and roaming on 158 networks in 117 countries and regions.
For more information, please visit www.vodafone.jp
For further information, please contact:
Matthew Nicholson
Vodafone K.K. Public Relations
Tel: 03-6403-1000 (+81-3-6403-1000)
Email: matthew.nicholson@vodafone.com