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Carriers

Vodafone K.K. 3Q '04 Fiscal Report

VODAFONE K.K. has announced its results for the first nine months of fiscal 2004. Consolidated operating revenue for the nine-month period ended 31 December 2004 was 1,102.8 billion yen, marking a 14.4% decline compared to the same period of fiscal 2003, due mainly to the exclusion of the fixed line telecommunication business in the second half of fiscal 2003. Total revenue for the mobile business declined by 3.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. The full year forecast for fiscal 2004 remains unchanged.

DoCoMo Releases N901iC 3G Handset

DoCoMo just announced they will start selling the N901iC [.jpg image] 3G FOMA handset, the latest model in the 901i-series, nationwide on 28 January 2005. The 901i-series offers surround-type 3D sound for vivid ringing melodies and realistic audio effects when playing i-appli games or using other applications. The N901iC also has FeliCa smart-card technology for e-money, ticketing and other handy mobile functions.

KDDI to Release 3G Router – FITELnet-F120 – Using CDMA 1X WIN Network

Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. will release a broadband router corresponding to high-speed data transmission service CDMA 1X WIN provided by the au cellular phone of KDDI “FITELnet-F120” at the end of January. “FITELnet-F120” is a product that can use the network of CDMA 1X WIN that enables the high-speed data transmission of 2.4Mbps or less as WAN service by following VPN function and backup function to get popular in the FITELnet-F series, and installing card “W01K” for CDMA 1X WIN in “FITELnet-F120”

3G Roll-out in Singapore

Unless there are dramatic improvements in quality, it’s hard to see how video phone calls can become a killer application for 3G. If video calls are not likely to be so hot, then what will be? That is the million-dollar question. The search for the killer application for 3G mobile services has become a sort of Holy Grail for mobile service operators worldwide. This is because operators have to provide the customer with sufficient and compelling content so that the larger bandwidth is put to good use.

DoCoMo Ending Prepaid Phones

NTT DoCoMo plans to stop accepting new subscribers for its prepaid mobile phone services by the end of March as they are increasingly used in crimes, company officials said Tuesday. Prepaid cellphones under existing contracts can be used for the time being, but NTT DoCoMo plans to discontinue prepaid mobile phone services after a transitional period of two to three years. DoCoMo had 81,000 prepaid cellphone subscribers as of the end of last year, accounting for only 3 percent of overall prepaid phone users.

Vodafone K.K. to Sponsor Urawa Reds Football Team

Vodafone K.K. today announces that it has agreed on a main partner sponsorship agreement with the Urawa Red Diamonds (Urawa Reds) football club in the J.League Division 1 (J1) for a two year period starting with the 2005 season. As part of the main partnership agreement, the Vodafone logo will feature on the front of the Urawa Reds shirts [Photo]. With this new partnership, Vodafone K.K. plans to deliver special Vodafone live! content to customers, develop merchandise featuring the logos of Vodafone and the Urawa Reds and hold events at stadiums and Vodafone shops.