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KDDI Launches EZ TV Platform with Five New 3G Handsets

KDDI Launches EZ TV Platform with Five New Handsets

Japan’s Spring handset blitzkrieg is on the attack. Just last week, DoCoMo launched the first barrage with the five-model 901iS-series of phones boasting PDF file navigation capabilities and a four-megapixel model, the D901iS. Today, KDDI counterattacked with a press conference at the New Takanawa Prince Hotel announcing five June-release au handsets to support live analog TV reception and ramped-up EZ television features — plus a new SafetyNavi GPS function.

The handsets: W32SA by Sanyo; W31CA by Casio; W31T from Toshiba; A5511T also Toshiba; and the A5512CA by Casio. They integrate a mix of music and business functions: download capacity for attached mail has been expanded and one of the models, the W31CA, has a 3.2-megapixel camera, which is pretty good (but not as good as DoCoMo’s latest).

Previously, in order to save on packet fees, KDDI’s WIN platform EZ Channel provided late-night video content downloads for later viewing. Flat-rate services have now produced an EZ Television channel for live analog terrestrial TV programming right to the mobile. Dubbed “interactive TV” by KDDI, the new handsets can record TV theme songs, soundtracks and commercial jingles as BGM (background music) via the Chaku Uta full music download feature. There’s also a search & buy function for CDs used in programs or commercials. For an extra fee, users can subscribe to Premium or Deluxe EZ TV services. Premium costs an additional 210 yen/month and adds remote recording functionality; Deluxe allows users to pre-register names and programs for automatic recording at 315 yen.

Thai TOT seeks Japan partner

TOT Corp. PCL, Thailand’s state-owned telecommunication agency, is in talks with two Japanese firms in its search for a partner for its telecom unit to speed up its move to third-generation, or 3G, services. TOT expected to conclude the talks before launching its initial public offering (IPO) in late October, agency president Teerawit Charuwat told reporters.

Vodafone: New Costume Covers for Cell Phones

Vodafone KK announces today that in early July 2005 it plans to offer two new 2G (PDC) handsets, the V501T by Toshiba and V501SH by Sharp, so customers can easily coordinate handsets with their mood, fashion or lifestyle. With the V501T, customers can change a handset’s appearance with interchangeable covers, and the V501SH comes with panels that alter its tactile feel.

Vodafone Slams Spam

Vodafone Japan said today they would limit SMS transmissions starting 31 May 2005 as part of new anti-spam measures aimed at making its Vodafone live! mobile Internet service more dependable for customers. Specifically, the number of SMS that can be sent to from a Vodafone KK 3G handset within one day will be limited to 500 starting 31 May 2005. Handsets that exceed this limit will not be able to send additional SMS for the following 20 days.

i-mode Getting Results at Telstra

At the Mobile Content World Asia Pacific conference in Sydney last week, Graham Gordon, GM Wireless Consumer and Data Services for i-mode alliance partner Telstra, reported “a sensational” 87-percent active user base for its i-mode portal, meaning that users have used the portal more than once in the last 30 days [Should that be ‘at least once’? — Ed.]. Subscription rates to i-mode are more than 500 percent higher than to Telstra’s WAP service and informed observers are predicting that total subscribers will reach 65,000 by the end of May, some 3 months after the hard launch.

DoCoMo Sells Stake in Hutchison 3G

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that it will complete the sale of its 20% stake in Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Limited (“H3G UK”) to Hutchison Whampoa Limited (“HWL”) on June 23, 2005. DoCoMo will record a gain on sale of affiliate shares of approximately 62 billion yen on a consolidated basis in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006 including foreign currency translation adjustment and as a result, will amend its consolidated financial forecasts, which were announced on May 10, 2005.