TOKYO-All three PHS carriers in Japan are predicting an increase in subscribers in fiscal 1999, ending 31 March 2000. The number of PHS subscribers finally increased in April after 19 straight months of falling numbers.
DDI Pocket Group, the leading PHS carrier with a more than 50-percent market share, estimates an increase of 500,000 subscribers this fiscal year. NTT DoCoMo Group, which took over the PHS business from NTT Personal Group, also estimates 500,000 new subscribers for the same period. Tokyo Telecommunications Network Company Inc. (TTNet), which last April took over the PHS business from Astel Tokyo, estimates it will add 50,000 new subscribers for fiscal 1999.
The PHS companies are putting all their efforts into maintaining this expansion trend by fully utilizing special features of PHS, such as high-speed data transmission, location services and message services.
However, subscriber figures dropped slightly again in May.
