All DoCoMo handsets to be GSM-capable within 2 years, sez paper
Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun is reporting that NTT DoCoMo is working to make all of its handsets GSM-compatible in the next two years, which would allow them to work in over 130 countries. Furthermore, DoCoMo's customers would have access to the popular i-mode Internet service in over 70 countries under the new plan, according to company sources quoted by the paper. Reuters reminds us that this move comes at a time when Japan's wireless industry is preparing for increased competition this fall, and may also be a response to the attractive packages Softbank can now offer thanks to their recent purchase of Vodafone Japan.
Filed under: Handsets, NTT DoCoMo, GSM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Donald @ May 21st 2006 5:51PM
Seems that DoCoMo didn't want to bother with that rebranded Nokia 6630 they were looking to launch with. And if this means that their handsets can be picked up by importers, it can only be a good thing.
Just a question though - what's this about increased competition in the mobile phone industry in Japan? I haven't heard anything about new entrants...
Jamar @ May 21st 2006 8:19PM
I'm guessing that's Vodafone/Softbank and Willcom (One has phones that work worldwide, one has phones that work in quite a lot of Asia) picking up more steam. I'm also glad that their handsets will start picking up GSM. Their phones are GREAT to use (I believe that there was a DoCoMo phone by Fujitsu that had iTunes syncing before the Motorola phone-wasn't crippled with a 100-song limit either, and they're still selling it, I think)(Ah, here- this is what the Moto E1 should have been- http://www.fmworld.net/product/phone/f901ic/ )
Deluxe @ May 21st 2006 9:06PM
#1, About 6 months ago three new mobile service licenses were handedd out to Softbank, eMobile and ipMobile. Softbank since aquiring Vodafone have returned theirs, but the other two are getting prepared for a launch sometime within the next 6 months.
#2, Willcom is picking up steam, but still only has a tiny market share percentage, and the big 3 dont yet see them as a threat. Vodafone / Softbank were losing maket share, and few expect the aquisition to make many any changes that could really effect their poor performance.
One thing that is important to not is that these phones will NOT be able to be used with other carriers. This means that YES you will be able to roam in other countries using your DoCoMo connected phone, but will not be able to discard the DoCoMo part.
DoCoMo's new 902iS series also features two handsets which are roaming 3G capable. DoCoMo are slowly but surely making changes to their network and hardware that means their WCDMA network will become intercompatable with the Euro and American standards.
Again, however, you can only use them on a DoCoMo contract, roaming in other countries, not connectable directly to an international service provider.
emma @ May 21st 2006 9:23PM
Thank god for this new innovation! I have such a hard time finding phone booths to make international calls when I'm abroad. And it makes it even harder with international #s and how many coins to put in. in addition, renting a phone at Narita to use during my trip is expensive plus a hassle! these phones will be handy-dandy!!
Jamar @ May 21st 2006 9:48PM
Hey, that's what people said about Vodafone at first- couldn't be unlocked and all that. Look at them now- plenty of people are using Sharp and Toshiba phones outside Japan on local contracts. All it takes is the capability to be used outside Japan, and sufficient desirability, and people will start rushing to unlock it (that's what happened with the V801SH and V801SA). Also, willcom seems like a small company too, but last time I was in Japan, a computer store I shopped at (Bic Camera in Yurakucho, Tokyo) was giving away Willcom data cards with laptops.
vincent @ May 21st 2006 11:38PM
Deluxe, Did the mobile telephone licenses that were awarded to softbank and the other two ur-carriers come with an allotment of the wireless spectrum? I was under the impression that it did not, which was why Softbank was originally looking to contract 3G spectrum from voda-jp as an MVNO.
As unlikely as it seems that Softbank's acquiring of VodafoneKK would turn it around, there does seem to be some buzz about how Softbank will integrate their mobile business unit in with their other network services. I guess a lot of the questions regarding their direction will be answered when the first Softbank-designed phones are released.
With regards to the original story. I sort of doubt that Docomo will make all of their handsets GSM compatible. The ability to roam internationally with your own handset doesn't seem to have been much of a draw for Voda-jp, and Docomo's world-wing service seems to have filled most of the gap for those that don't want / need an internationally compatible handset as their main phone. Moreover, I would guess that moving their entire line to GSM compatible would mean phasing out their PDC network. Docomo, like the other carriers, still have a larger 2G customer base, and that many subscribers upgrading over the next 3-4 years might cause more than a few to look at other networks...especially after number portability becomes available in November.
Eh, but who knows...I'm sure Docomo's plan is more sophisticated than the way it was described in the linking story...
vincent @ May 21st 2006 11:51PM
@ Jamar, the unlocking on the V801 series was a hack-job and left as many phones unstable as usable. I have one in a drawer...The situation changed when Vodafone started releasing the Sharp, Toshiba, and SE models on their international networks and the resulting firmware variations became available. That the phone can be unlocked is not much help when network functions and software operations are DRM'd. Besides, network locking technology is also moving forward. Even after 2 years, there are still no unlock solutions for Nokia's BB5 phones.
So, if Docomo really wants to keep their phones locked to their network (and Japan only), they can do so fairly easily.
Jamar @ May 22nd 2006 12:09AM
Well... A hack-job is better than nothing- that is what will probably happen to DoCoMo phones if they become GSM-capable and DoCoMo locks them. Not sure what they do right now to prevent Vodafone SIMs from working in their phones, but it most likely hasn't been unlocked because of lack of demand. If DoCoMo phones become GSM-capable, there will be much more overseas demand, and thus an actual unlocking effort, hack-job or otherwise.
Donald @ May 23rd 2006 2:58PM
6: Japan is only getting LNP this year?
I've always thought of Japan as some sort of mobile paradise... that's amazing. It's also good to see that more than one other developed country is stalling on portability *coughCanadaSeptember2007cough*