TOKYO-Japanese mobile carrier KDDI Corp. announced an agreement with Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. to cooperate on research into compact fuel-cell batteries for mobile communication devices. A commercial product is expected by the end of 2005.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
KDDI said research will cover areas such as miniaturization, ease of use and all technical considerations required for incorporating the batteries into mobile phones. Plans are to complete an external, battery-charger-type model within 2004 and complete a mobile phone built-in model by the end of the 2005 fiscal year. The three companies are already actively participating in national and international standardization and de-regulation efforts related to fuel-cell technology.
There is a continuing trend for mobile telephones to consume more power, as LCD screen functionality increases and applications become more powerful. KDDI said fuel-cell battery technology being researched is appropriate for mobile phones because it has high energy density, is environmentally superior to current technology, and can be recharged simply by adding fuel. The technology is already under consideration for automobiles, PCs and certain household products.
