TOKYO—NTT DoCoMo, the leading mobile carrier in Japan, announced it will purchase additional shares of AT&T Wireless Inc. to maintain its current stake in the U.S. mobile carrier. NTT DoCoMo last year acquired a 16-percent stake in AT&T Wireless, aiming to spread W-CDMA-based third-generation and i-mode-like services in the U.S. market.
Because AT&T Wireless decided to acquire TeleCorp PCS, a regional mobile carrier providing services in the Midwest and Southeastern United States, DoCoMo decided to purchase an additional stake to maintain its current 16-percent holding.
According to DoCoMo, it will acquire a total of 26.6 million shares of common stock at $14.28 per share or the total purchasing cost of $380 million.
