<span class="vcard">editors</span>
editors

Dell Making MVNO Move in Japan?

Mark over at TechRadar has a post on recent rumblings by Dell in the UMPC space. We have seen the increasing push to sell flat-rate data subscriptions – primed by ‘free’ mini laptop hooked to two-year contract – over the last six months (from all operators offering several OEM models) but this is the first whiff of an MVNO play. According to the article, machine will go on sale here this summer with internal HSDPA cards which allow max. downlink speeds of 7.2Mbps for an estimated $500. While there is no indication of on-going access fees, the current typical all you can surf account runs about $40 per month. Now that would be interesting!

Engagement Marketing with QR Codes & 1Seg

Lux is running a very cool campaign in Shibuya this week utlizing 1Seg digital TV broadcasting with huge QR Codes on ad posters. They have setup a temporary display, outside ‘the’ fashion central 109 building, which calls for users to scan the code in order to get instructions on how they can tune-in (spotcasting on channel 34) for more details. The content awaiting them includes a mobile micro-site with a promotional tv commercial, featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones, along with a slick call-to-action for trendy girls to audition for a future campaign.

MobiActions Gaming For Toshiba

The good folks at Mobiactions are in the news again with another exciting mobile interactive game campaign to promote Toshiba’s new Note PC’s in Japan. The Toshiba branded game uses the latest Mobiactions with Veeplayer mobile interactive video and voice response (IVVR) technology so users can dial in and immediately play a fun game that allows them to score points and win prizes.

Kddi Introduces HTC Smartphone

Kddi Introduces HTC SmartphoneAU has announced their E30HT handset, running Windows mobile 6.1 pro edition, will be available as of May. Also of note, the EVDO Rev.1 network connection speed package is topped up with a full flat-rate data plan so that heavy users will be entitled to connect the device as a so-called walking hotspot for their laptops as well.

Congrats to the folks at scanR – who presented at MoMo Tokyo earlier this week – as their application comes loaded as a pre-install, other goodies include; Adobe Reader, Opera Mobile, Navitime, Microsoft Office and Outlook with ActiveSync. Thankfully the CDMA Global Passport package is also available for clients when roaming overseas. HTC finally has handsets on all three operators!

Fujitsu HIts 120Mbps Field Testing LTE

Fujitsu Laboratories has announced that they have conducted successful field testing for LTE using 4×4 MIMO. The trials, in collaboration with DoCoMo, took place in Hokkaido and resulted in wireless data transmissions in the range of 120 Mbps (using 10 MHz bandwidth) in Sapporo’s urban environment. This would be equivalent to 240 Mbps throughput using the 20 MHz maximum bandwidth that LTE allows.

HotSpot on the Bullet Train

NTT Com is now accepting applications for it’s new HOTSPOT Express product, a WLAN service for the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka, which will start March 14. Touted as the first wireless Internet access offering on any Shinkansen line in Japan, although UQ Wi-Fi recently announced availability for select corporate customers as of March as well, the service will offer maximum downlinks of 2Mbps on each 16-coach bullet train for any IEEE 802.11b/g-compatible device for a monthly charge of 819 yen (approx. $8 usd). According to the announcement, connectivity will also be available in the waiting lounges of all 17 stations along the route.

NEC Provides Telefonica Blog Platform

NEC has announced that it is providing Telefonica Espana with a blog platform for their SNS service, “KETEKE,” which includes blogging and “Contenedor Multimedia” where registered SNS users may share photos and videos, in addition to a calendar where members can check and coordinate their schedules. These functions are available through not only the computer and mobile, but via the companies television service “Imagenio” as well. This platform was apparently designed based on an established blogging product from Japan that has been adapted to suit the needs of Telefonica, according to the statement.

Alternative WLAN Access Offer

JCI will start a new fixed-rate data service with a fee of approx 10-cents per minute on March 23, 2009. “Doccica” will use DoCoMo’s 3G network combined with public wireless LAN access points from several established providers. Subscribers are required to purchase a USB dongle manufactured by ZTE Corp., for approx US$150, including a pre-paid fee of for the first 500 minutes. WWJ conducted a video interview with Sanda-san, way back in 2002, about the mvno’s B-Mobile product offering.

Bill Morrow Gets Back in the Game

Clearwire has announced that William Morrow will replace Benjamin Wolff as chief executive. Mr. Morrow served in various telecom roles including Vodafone K.K. as President of the company when it exited the Japanese market [video here]. Clearwire is backed by a swath of media, tech and telecom companies, including Sprint Nextel, Time Warner, Google and Comcast, with the goal of constructing a cutting-edge wireless network.