Carriers
Carriers

Carriers

PanTech & Curitel's A1405PT for KDDI

KDDI/au have announced the latest addition to their CDMA 1X handset line-up, the A1405PT [ .jpg image ] from PanTech & Curitel. The phone was jointly developed with KDDI and marks the first entry of a Korean-made model into the Japanese market. Due to hit the streets by the end of November, it comes with a limited set of features (only a VGA camera for example), but it does tout an organic EL “Stream Screen” sub-display and has a built-in “crime prevention buzzer function” that is able to sound the warning sound of a large volume. This should be a fun feature for our next trip out to see the Yomiuri Giants play!

Vodafone Announces 'Love Flat-rate'

Vodafone K.K. have just announced that on 1 November 2005 the company will introduce “Love Flat-rate,” Japan’s first mobile service that allows customers to call and send mail to a designated party as much as they like, according to a press release. The service name stands for the ability to call and mail the person ‘one loves most’ without worrying about the cost. The service lets a customer call and mail a designated party (one Vodafone K.K. phone number) without limitations, and discounts video calls by 50% for a monthly fixed charge of 300 yen (315 yen including tax).

Willcom Launches Feature Packed Mobile Phones for Fall

Willcom Launches Feature Packed Mobile Phones for FallJapan’s Willcom will launch four PHS mobile handsets this November packed with many of the same functions as high-end DoCoMo or KDDI models. Functions for the WX310K and WX300K both by Kyocera; Sanyo’s WX310SA; and JRC WX310J include a PC document viewer, NetFront V3.3 internet browser, Intellisync for Outlook, fingerprint authentification, music player, pixel reader, macromedia flash, even Bluetooth — all at rates the bigger carriers will find hard to match.

PHS (personal handyphone system) subscriber numbers, long in free fall against 3G mobile carriers, are slowly climbing back from the abyss thanks to low-cost fixed-rate subscriber packages that are saving consumers bundles of yen. Currently Willcom has an inter-service flat call rate under 3000 yen ($26) per month. The company has announced they will introduce a flat rate mobile data fee of just 3,800 yen ($33) to coincide with the release of the new 300/310 series. PHS subscribers will be able to dig in to a full buffet of mobile services for around 6,700 yen ($58) a month.

Vodafone Japan Launches LBS for 3G

Vodafone is making location-based searches for users of their 3G handsets more serendipitous. Using location information from base stations, the new service will automatically display users’ current location areas on Vodafone live!, making it easier to search for information on nearby restaurants and public transport. Previously, 3G customers searching for a nearby restaurant, for example, first had to select their current location area and address to begin. Location-based searches are one tool in the personalized arsenal of value-added services that telecom carriers hope will generate advertising and data revenue and keep customer loyalty.

eAccess Courting Goldman Sachs

ADSL Broadband firm and mobile carrier wannabe eAccess is in discussion with American’s Goldman Sachs Group regarding significant investment in the firm. eAccess issued a Japanese press release in response to an article in the Nihon Keizai Daily. The article reported that the company plans to partner with Goldman Sachs with an investment by the American corporate giant of 25 billion yen through GS Capital Partners. Goldman Sachs has ties with Universal Studios Japan and could smooth plans for eAccess to distribute Universal video games over Japanese 3G cell phones. The article went on to say that they may also develop phone-based travel content including golf and hotel reservations for properties with Goldman Sachs ties.

Vodafone Makes E-Moji Mail Work

Vodafone Japan is making it easier for Japanese multi-slackers to stuff their email full of pictographs and surf it on over other carriers’ systems intact and with no extra steps. Due to differing specifications with each carriers’ pictograms (or E-moji), it hasn’t been possible for Vodafone users to send emails that included picture fun to other carriers’ handsets. The company’s pictogram conversion function now automatically changes the Vodafone pictogram codes into the corresponding display format for DoCoMo and KDDI cellphones.