TOKYO—NTT DoCoMo, the leading mobile operator in Japan, limited the use of mobile phones for two hours in the afternoon of 7 June due to World Cup ticket sales. From 2 p.m. on 7 June, 700 additional tickets for the soccer games were sold on phones.
Because many soccer fans rushed to make calls seeking tickets, DoCoMo’s networks were congested in the afternoon. According to DoCoMo, it received 100 million calls during just the first hour. On 11 June, DoCoMo started announcing “sold out information” for the soccer games over the phone as part of its effort to relieve congestion.
