TOKYO-KDDI Corp. said it plans to invest $1.73 billion over the next three years to upgrade its network to CDMA2000 1x EV-DO Revision A technology.
Japan’s second-largest carrier said the upgrade should boost network speeds roughly tenfold, allowing downloads up to 3.6 megabits per second, and uploads up to 3.1 Mbps. The operator is scheduled to begin upgrading its network in urban areas later this year.
KDDI’s announcement comes as domestic operators Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless both have announced plan to upgrade their networks to CDMA2000 Rev. A technology.
KDDI is vying for market share with Japanese telecommunications giant NTT DoCoMo Inc., which claims 56 percent of Japan’s 93 million mobile phone users. DoCoMo recently announced plans to build a “Super 3G” network, offering speeds of up to 100 Mbps. KDDI is also battling against Softbank, which earlier this year acquired Vodafone Japan. Softbank said earlier this month that it plans to spend as much as $3.5 billion on its network, doubling the number of its base stations to 46,000 units.
Each carrier is working to gain leverage in advance of wireless number portability, which will be available to Japanese consumers in October.
