NTT DoCoMo says 41% of senior citizens own mobile phones

TOKYO—About 41 percent of seniors in their 60s in Japan have their own cellular phones, and 35 percent started using their cellular phone within the past year, according to a survey conducted by NTT DoCoMo. According to the survey of 300 people in their 60s, about a half obtained their phones because of their jobs, and about 30 percent obtained them for personal reasons.
These mature cellular phone holders talk three minutes per call, fewer minutes than their younger couterparts. Partly due to the shorter conversation time, the average monthly charges are 5,100 yen (US$41), less than the average monthly charge of all age groups.
The survey also found the seniors tend not to use mail like the younger generation. Merely 19 percent of the total male cellular phone users who responded to the survey and 14 percent of the female subscribers are using mail services.