TOKYO-Vodafone K.K. said it applied for a license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations in the 1.7 GHz band.
Vodafone K.K. currently offers third-generation services in the 2 GHz frequency band. The company said it is the first time an existing 3G mobile operator in Japan has applied for a field test license in the 1.7 GHz band.
The company said it expects a rapid increase in 3G traffic due to an increasing number of 3G customer contracts and the proliferation of packet communication flat-rate services, which would put pressure on its current spectrum holdings. To combat that, the company hopes to expedite development of W-CDMA systems operating in the 1.7 GHz band for future commercial use.
