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NTT DoCoMo and Motorola Announce 3G FOMA Handset Developement

NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Motorola Inc. and Motorola Japan Ltd. announced today that they have signed an agreement to jointly develop a FOMA handset targeting business users by taking advantage of high-speed 3G FOMA technologies. Commercialization is scheduled for spring 2005. The new handset, which is compatible with GSM/GPRS technologies, will be the first FOMA model that may be used outside of Japan. Unlike i-mode®-capable phones, the handset will enable access to the internet through mopera® or any other available internet connection service. What’s more, its browser will be able to display standard web pages. Full Press Release Here.

Softbank Testing New 3G Standard

Softbank Corp and eAccess Ltd plan to step up their testing of next-generation cell-phone systems by this fall to collect more data. The companies are working toward launching TDD (time division duplex) cell-phone services, which are suitable for high-speed data communications. Accumulating sufficient test data is deemed key to securing a slot when the Ministry of Telecommunications allocates frequencies for TDD services as early as 2005.

DoCoMo to Launch Motorola 3G Phone

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, DoCoMo will offer a new 3G handset made by Motorola in spring 2005. DoCoMo is also (apparently) planning to supply terminals coming from Nokia as well. The article notes that forcast increasing global demand and product improvements by major overseas manufacturers, indicates a competative creep on the traditional domestic handset makers.

DoCoMo to Launch i-mode Disaster Message Board Service in English

NTT DoCoMo Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries announced that they will add English language capability to the i-mode® Disaster Message Board service beginning September 1, 2004. DoCoMo set up this electronic bulletin board service in Japanese last January, to be activated in the event of a major calamity such as a high-magnitude earthquake. The bulletin board will enable i-mode subscribers within the disaster area to post messages in order to notify family and friends of their personal safety and whereabouts. The service was launched in order to ensure communication and prevent a degradation in network performance, since an overflow of voice calls and data packet transmissions would likely follow a major disaster.

KDDI Announces the Merger of Four Subsidiaries, Launch of 'KDDI Network & Soluti

KDDI has announced the impending merger of four subsidiaries to form KDDI Network & Solutions Inc., to strengthen management efficiency and improve response times for corporate customers requiring broad and comprehensive solutions. The new company is expected to become a pillar of the corporate fixed communications business for the KDDI group. K-Solutions Inc., KCOM Corporation, OSI Plus Corporation, and KDDI Msat, Inc. will be merged into the new company on October 1, 2004, to strengthen the KDDI Group base and enable greater corporate-wide deployment in the communications service market where the Group expects an intensification of competition in the future.

Vodafone Japan Appoints New CEO

Vodafone Holdings K.K. and Vodafone K.K. jointly announce that their respective Boards of Directors today selected Shiro Tsuda to be the next President and Chief Executive Officer and Representative Executive Officer of Vodafone K.K. as of 1 December. [.pdf]. Effective immediately, Shiro Tsuda will act as an Executive Officer for Vodafone Holdings K.K. and Vodafone K.K. until he assumes his position. Shiro Tsuda was formerly Senior Executive Vice President at NTT DoCoMo, Inc.