TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. said it plans to offer FOMA video-phone handsets beginning Oct. 1, allowing users to make international video phone calls and 64 kilobit per second data transmissions to the United Kingdom with technology partner Hutchison 3G U.K.
The service, which DoCoMo noted builds on its recently launched Word Call international dialing offering, is expected to cost 62 cents per 10 seconds of usage.
Oct. 1 is also the day DoCoMo competitor J-Phone Co. Ltd, which is transitioning to the Vodafone brand, will introduce new services and discounted pricing plans. Vodafone Happy Time will allow calls to other J-Phone customers on weekends and holidays for 4 cents per minute.
The operator will also launch two additional price plans, and it will lower video telephony charges to the same prices as voice calls.
