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

DoCoMo to Acquire Stake in DMG

NTT DoCoMo said today that the company will invest $4.2 million in newly issued stock for an equity stake in Digital Media Group Co., Ltd., which owns Beijing Eastlong Technology Development Co., Ltd., a company that produces and distributes digital advertisements, content and services for the subway stations and trains in Shanghai. The investment will take place in January 2005. Through Eastlong Technology, DMG is planning to expand its digital media business using the latest wireless technologies, starting from transportation ads in trains and at subway and monorail stations throughout China.

NEC Expanding China 3G Sales

NEC Corp will launch infrastructure-related operations for China’s 3G cellular phone market, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, without citing sources. NEC is also expanding its cellular handset operation in China, the newspaper said. Shipments of the current generation of cell phones exceeded 1 million units as of Nov 30, exceeding the total for financial 2003, it said. NEC estimates that shipments will reach 2 mln units for the full fiscal year and grow to 3 mln in financial 2005, according to the article.

Decorating your Cell Phone: Not Just for X-mas

Decorating your Cell Phone: Not Just for X-masFor a special bonus Christmas present, today’s video program highlights a small company that really adds sparkle to Japan’s national obsession with custom keitai decoration. WWJ videographer Lawrence Cosh-Ishii spoke with Syouji Koyama this week at his (temporary) LED blazing storefront in the fashionable Shibuya shopping district, right across from Japanese gorgeous-Gal headquarters (aka the 109 Building). Cell-phone accessories may look like kid stuff to overseas viewers but the fun and games of charms, designer hand straps, custom-painted handsets and key pad jewels is a multimillion dollar spin-off industry that’s crossing Japan’s borders into Asia and coming to a country near you.

It’s been a fantastic year for us reporting from the heart of Japan’s mobile revolution and 2005 is shaping up to be yet another exciting adventure in the world of mobile.

Vodafone's Shift to 3G Phones

Vodafone K.K. President Shiro Tsuda said Wednesday the Japanese unit of British mobile phone service company Vodafone Group PLC will encourage its customers to shift to 3G handsets for faster data communications. “Vodafone will offer its last 2G handset next year and no more 2G later,” Tsuda said in an interview with Kyodo News.

Kyocera Testing iBurst

Kyocera has obtained a permit from the government to begin experiments of the “iBurst System,” ArrayComm’s wireless technology with maximum downstread of 1Mbps, and has begun testing the technology inside of their Yokohama office. The system is said to have a data receiving capability of a maximum of 1Mbps. Based on the TDD standard, a service using iBurst began in March of this year in Australia. The companies offer base station access via PC cards to clients on a monthly flat-rate data service package.

DoCoMo Invests in MontaVista

DoCoMo announced today that it has agreed with MontaVista Software Inc., a U.S. developer of Linux software for teleco equipment and mobile handsets, to invest $3 million in newly issued preferred stock for an equity stake in the company. DoCoMo has already introduced products equipped with MontaVista Linux. DoCoMo hopes the investment will allow it to efficiently improve and develop its Linux product offering.