KDDI Confirms Network Upgrade
KDDI has announced it would invest 200 billion yen ($1.73 billion) over the next three years on upgrading its network to CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A technology. KDDI’s Y200bn network upgrade will begin in December with consumers in urban areas benefiting first. Its total investment budget for the year ending March 2007 is Y333bn, a 21 per cent increase on the 2005-06 budget.
“This isn’t about competing on speed,” said Fumio Watanabe, KDDI’s general manager of technology development. “It’s about widening the scope for new services.”
Tokyo-based KDDI said it aims to offer a new video-phone service using the faster network in December, but did not give further details. The faster upload speed will also encourage more customers to use online blogs and other services, Watanabe said.