Wireless Watch Japan
Search Results for: Willcom

Search Results for: Willcom


DoCoMo Planning Push To Talk Service

DoCoMo Planning Push To Talk ServiceRumours are circulating that NTT DoCoMo will introduce a Push-to-Talk (PTT) voice service by mid-October. Several Japanese trade journals have reported the as-yet-unconfirmed plans, saying that DoCoMo plans to market a cellular phone equipped with a chip made by US Qualcomm in October. With three new carriers set to enter the domestic market in 2006, the dominant telco is said to be considering how to defend its market share by offering new services and incentives. Opinions suggest the company will respond to the popular, though as yet still not widely used, flat-rate voice services launched by Willcom in May this year and the family free-call trial running on Vodafone from July through the end of October.

Livedoor to Apply for Mobile Licence

Internet firm Livedoor Co. said today it plans to apply for a new mobile licence that the Japanese government is expected to issue later this year, with the aim of starting a data service. Livedoor will apply for the licence on the 2 gigahertz band, a company spokesman said. It will be competing against mobile broadband startup IP Mobile Inc. and Willcom Inc., a wireless service operator owned by Kyocera Corp. and U.S. fund Carlyle Group.

Mobile Flat-Rate Voice Planned

Willcom Inc., Japan’s largest personal handy-phone system (PHS) company, said Tuesday it will introduce a flat rate for voice communication starting 1 May, becoming the first domestic wireless carrier to provide such service. It said the service will allow users to call fellow Willcom PHS users for unlimited minutes for 2,900 yen per month. Willcom, formerly DDI Pocket Inc., was bought out from KDDI Corp. by the U.S. investment firm Carlyle Group.

Vodafone Introduces Additional Anti-spam Measure

Vodafone K.K. has announced a new function will be introduced starting 30 March that blocks so-called “spoof mails”, mails sent via a PC with addresses posing as mobile handset mail addresses. With the new anti-spam measure, Vodafone K.K. aims to make its Vodafone live! mobile Internet service more dependable for customers. The spoof mail blocking function makes it possible to refuse mails sent via a PC that pose as mail addresses of Vodafone K.K., other mobile operator, or PHSNote 1 handsets. By accessing the Custom Mail Set-up page from either Vodafone live! or the Vodafone K.K. website (www.vodafone.jp), customers can select from the “accept (default setting)” or “refuse” settings to filter spoof mails.

DoCoMo to Exit PHS Business

NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan’s largest mobile operator, plans to exit its money-losing personal handyphone system (PHS) business in two to three years and focus on its core mobile-phone service, the Nihon Keizai reported on Thursday. However, in an unusual move, DoCoMo’s International PR made the following comment about that report. The business daily said DoCoMo would stop accepting new customers for PHS as early as April.