TOKYO—Vodafone Group plc’s Japanese operations will undergo a brand change once the sale of the unit to Softbank Corp. is complete, the two companies announced today.
Vodafone assured customers that they would continue to be able to use their vodafone.ne.jp e-mail addresses and that its current flat-rate offerings would continue, as well as that “nationwide sales channels and after-service facilities, including the current 1,858 Vodafone shops … and customer centers will be strengthened and expanded for an enhanced customer experience.”
The two companies said capital investment would be stepped up and that a “new, easy-to-understand and familiar company name and brand” would be announced later.
Vodafone K.K. also announced that it would begin selling a new 3G handset tomorrow: Sharp’s 904SH, with a VGA liquid crystal display, Bluetooth technology and the ability to support new features such as face recognition.
Vodafone agreed last month to sell its struggling Japanese operation to Softbank, a Japanese Internet conglomerate, in a deal valued at about $15.4 billion. The cash that Vodafone receives from the sale is expected to be dispensed to shareholders after the transaction closes, which is scheduled to happen in the second quarter. Softbank won out despite a rival bid, and the move gives a new Softbank subsidiary control of the third-largest mobile operator in Japan.
