A total of 15 Asian carriers have already joined the DoCoMo Asia IoT Program
Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has launched an IoT initiative with the main aim of promoting collaboration among IoT providers in Asia.
The initiative, dubbed “DOCOMO Asia IoT Program” (AIP), will initially include mobile operators from 15 countries in the region have expressed their intention to participate in the program.
“The program aims to strengthen the company’s IoT offering within the Asian region. It will enhance connectivity, operational support and consultation on certification and regulation, all of which rely on close collaboration with local mobile operators in the region,” NTT DoCoMo said in a release.
The carrier also said that participating telcos will be able to acquire timely information on the Japanese and Asian markets and work closely with DoCoMo to further meet the needs of corporate customers.
“Corporate customers are likely to benefit, as the program will allow them to acquire local information and mobile connectivity relatively quickly, and will also give them the opportunity to compare the offerings of multiple mobile operators,” the operator said.
DoCoMo said that the new IoT program will have biannual regular meetings to discuss potential and common challenges of the IoT market in the Asia region. In those meetings, operators will share the latest regional market trends and local IoT-related information such as regulation and certification processes.
The program will also include joint sessions with corporate customers.
In July, DoCoMo had launched its “Globiot” global IoT initiative, with the aim of providing global connectivity and operational support and consulting to Japanese enterprises that have global IoT operations.
DoCoMo said Globiot is a combination of services that help enterprises identify and use the most advantageous connectivity options suited to their IoT equipment deployments overseas. It will provide global connectivity via local SIM/eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module) or roaming, as well as advise customers on appropriate business models. It will also provide support with operation and maintenance and advise customers about relevant IoT regulations and necessary certifications overseas, the telco added.
In January this year, DoCoMo launched its 5G Open Partner Program to promote collaboration in the 5G field. The program currently has 1,800 partners and expects to end 2021 with 5,000 partners.
NTT DoCoMo plans to launch pre-commercial 5G services in September 2019, the carrier’s president and CEO, Kazuhiro Yoshizawa, recently said during a conference call with investors and analysts. Yoshizawa also said that the company aims to launch commercial 5G services across Japan by mid-2020.
