AT&T Wireless wasted little time in exploiting its relationship with Japan’s NTT DoCoMo in an attempt to jump start its wireless Internet offerings. AT&T, which received nearly $10 billion from the Japanese telecom giant, signed an agreement with DoCoMo and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. to begin working together to develop network services and applications allowing AT&T wireless customers to use their wireless devices to play interactive games on Sony’s Play Station platform.
The news came on the heels of DoCoMo and Sony announcing plans to link-up DoCoMo’s i-mode Internet service with Sony’s Play Station video game system for use in overseas markets.
Sony said it signed separate memorandums of understanding with DoCoMo’s six global alliance partners, including U.S.-based AT&T Wireless Services Group, to jointly develop and market new mobile communications services.
AT&T said it will work with DoCoMo and Sony to create network interfaces between the Sony Play Station and mobile Internet devices, and between the Sony Play Station and a gateway server or a content provider’s server.
“This exciting initiative is a direct result of our relationship with DoCoMo and our commitment to move toward the global standard for third-generation wireless networks,” said John Zeglis, chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Wireless.
While wireless gaming is still small in the United States, AT&T is looking for demand to grow and bring wireless Internet subscriber numbers with it. DoCoMo has signed up more than 17 million subscribers to its i-mode service in Japan by offering a variety of services including gaming. AT&T Wireless reported it had 459,000 wireless Internet customers at the end of the fourth quarter.
