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Vodafone Announces New 3G Handsets

Vodafone K.K. just announced that, as part of its new 3G lineup, from early August 2005 it will offer the Vodafone 703SH handset by Sharp, the lightest model in its 3G lineup, and from mid-August it will market the Vodafone 903SH handset by Sharp, which features the Japan markets first (as of this announcement) 3.2 megapixel auto focus mobile camera with 2x optical zoom. To coincide with the sale of these new 3G handsets, they will also offer an expanded Chaku-Uta Full® full track music download content service starting mid-August.

Foreign Phones Don't Sell in Japan

When Vodafone Group released a line of 3G mobile phones simultaneously in several major cities around the world, Japan was less than enthralled. The marketing blitz in Japan was also the first test of selling foreign-made handsets like Motorola and Nokia in a country where homemade phones have nearly monopolized the market. By many reports, the foreign handset makers fell flat in Japan, the most advanced cellphone market in the world.

QUALCOMM and ACCESS Bring i-mode to MSM Chipsets

Collaboration Delivers Rapid Entry to Global i-mode Market for QUALCOMM’s OEM Partners. QUALCOMM Incorporated, pioneer and innovator of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and other cutting-edge wireless technologies and ACCESS Co., Ltd., a global provider of mobile content delivery and Internet access technologies, today announced that ACCESS’ i-mode Global Profile, a profile in ACCESS’ NetFront™ Mobile Client Suite, will be supported on QUALCOMM’s Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) chipset solutions. The availability of ACCESS’ i-mode Global Profile solution on select MSM chipsets provides device manufacturers with accelerated entry into the global i-mode market and ensures a wide variety of next-generation devices for i-mode operators.

Vodafone K.K. to Offer Japan's First 3G Data Card Roaming Service

Vodafone K.K. announces today that from early September 2005 it will market a new version of its currently available VC701SI Vodafone Connect Card (manufactured by SII) with upgraded firmware*1 to let customers roam on W-CDMA networks overseas at high packet transmission speeds of up to 384kbps for downlinks (on a best effort basis*2). Marking a first in Japan*3, this upgrade will enable customers to enjoy mobile internet access abroad on PCs or PDAs using 3G data cards. The Vodafone Connect Card, which is currently available as the W-CDMA (3G) compatible VC701SI CompactFlash® (Type II) data card terminal, was launched in April 2004 exclusively for data usage in Japan, is popular among individuals and business customers in particular.

Vodafone Weighs Change in Japan

Wireless giant Vodafone added 4.1 million new users – that’s the population of New Zealand – in its strongest quarter for the past five years. Now it will focus its efforts on improving its Japanese business, according to Chief Executive Arun Sarin. Average revenue per customer have slipped in that country, as well as in the U.K. and Germany. Sarin’s not averse to the idea of selling underperforming operations in Japan, where Vodafone languishes behind NTT DoCoMo and KDDI: “We’re not married to any asset. If an asset loses its usefulness to us.. we’d be willing to look at (a disposal),” he was quoted as saying by AFX News.

TEPCO, KDDI to Cooperate

Tokyo Electric Power Co., Japan’s largest power company, has launched negotiations with telecom carrier KDDI Corp. for a possible capital tie-up or merger of their communications businesses, the Asahi Shimbun reported Tuesday.

Amp'd Announces Kyocera Handset

Amp’d Mobile and Kyocera Wireless Corp. today announced the Jet, an affordable high-speed EV-DO handset for rapid downloading of Amp’d’s unique 3G content launching later this year. Jet marks the first EV-DO mobile phone for Kyocera Wireless, a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, and will be the lowest-priced handset at Amp’d Mobile, the first fully integrated 3G mobile entertainment company for youth/young adults.

Vodafone Key Performance Indicators

The Vodafone Group today announced its key performance indicators (KPI’s) for the 1 April to 30 June 2005 period. KPI’s relevant to Vodafone K.K., along with a summary of customer numbers*1, are as follows. The closing total customer base was 14,966,600. Vodafone K.K. had a net reduction of 74,100 for the quarter, but recorded positive net additions of 5,300 in June. 3G subscriptions increased by 382,200 to 1,299,400 in the quarter, increasing the 3G customer percentage from 6.1% to 8.7%. The percentage of prepaid customers was 11% at the end of June 2005, unchanged from at the end of March 2005.

Japanese TV Powers Up Over Fast Networks, 3G Phones

Japanese TV Powers Up Over Fast Networks, 3G Phones

Japan’s PoweredCom announced the start of a Video on Demand (VOD) distribution service over high capacity fiber optics broadband networks. Powered Theater will soft launch August 11. Full service should begin in mid-September. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is a partner in PoweredCom and very interested in seeing more traffic on their fiber optic networks. For this project, the company tied up with cell phone content provider Index Corps’ subsidiary Neo Index and Mitsubishi as a technology/programming partner.

In a separate development Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) and Culture Convenience Club, parent company of video rental giant Tsutaya, have put together a joint venture to distribute programming over Internet broadband networks, original DVDs and through mobile phones. Though few details are available the new company should start at the end of October. TBS owns a controlling interest of 51 percent and CCC 49 percent. TBS also recently partnered with ColorZip Japan for a late-summer launch of TV applications using ColorZip’s server based ColorCode code recognition system linking TV broadcasts to related digital content for sponsored websites, music samples, contests and prize drawings.

Wireless Japan Expo: Video Report

Wireless Japan Expo: Video ReportLast week’s Wireless Japan Expo was a bit of an anticipointment. With the exception of a few prototype handsets from NEC, WWJ had already reported on much of the technology on display. DoCoMo and Panasonic highlighted the fun of their customizable 901i handsets. One area included display-only custom covers by Japanese artists and designers. MoBaHo!, that joint venture of 88 Japanese and Korean companies beaming 40 channels of video, audio and data programming to handheld receivers, cell phones and car-mounted tuners from their satellite mostly recycled displays from last autumn’s show. Though not really new, Fuji Film’s pocket-sized infrared printer PiVi drew in expo goers with photos next to a mock-up of the Japan National Soccer Team. KDDI showcased their newly announced tie-up with Felica (and Suica) via demonstrations of au 3G phones zipping through JR ticket gates and playing games on Sega arcade machines equipped with Felica readers.

Our guest reporter, freshman media major Christy Nakada on loan from her university in California demonstrates the Felica/au connection at the KDDI booth and brings the PiVi into focus from Fuji in this 4-minute peek-a-boo video from the event.