Driven by the collision of wireless and the Internet, wireless e-commerce represents the single most powerful market disrupter of this decade. It will entice new "virtual" operators that will help redefine both the nature of wireless competition and the business and operational models required...
Looking to add further value to its UP.Link Server Internet gateway, Phone.com Inc. said it will acquire Paragon Software Ltd. for about $500 million in stock.Paragon develops synchronization technology called FoneSync that allows desktop computers and mobile devices to share information. Phone.com said it...
SAN DIEGO-PacketVideo Corp., a provider of wireless multimedia communication software and service for mobile applications, announced it will provide NTT DoCoMo with a software test bench that verifies the newly developed 3G-324M standard and interoperability between various mobile terminals.The software allows NTT DoCoMo to...
TOKYO-NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc., Japan's largest mobile operator, purchased KDD Corp.'s wireless network facilities for about $170 million. The acquisition is intended to help NTT DoCoMo deal with increasing network traffic.The acquisition includes a wireless communications network linking Tokyo and Fukuoka in southwestern...
TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo's iMode Internet service is winning attention around the world as the first success case for mobile Internet.Since the carrier launched the service in February 1999, it has attracted more than 2.8 million users. Subscribers are expected to reach 4 million by March...
AustraliaTelecom New Zealand acquired an 80-percent stake in AAPT, Australia's third-largest phone company. AAPT is building LMDS and CDMA networks and resells GSM service.News Corp. said it agreed to invest a further US$127.2 million in One.Tel, increasing its stake to about 25 percent. News...
TOKYO-Following months of speculation, three Japanese telecom companies announced plans to merge into one group to compete in the country's increasingly competitive telecom market. DDI, IDO and KDD will merge to form Japan's second-largest telecom company after NTT, in part to compete for the...
Following months of speculation, three Japanese telecom companies announced plans to merge into one group to compete in the country's increasingly competitive telecom market. DDI Corp., IDO Corp. and KDD Corp. will merge to form Japan's second-largest telecom company after Nippon Telegraph and Telephone...
NEW YORK-NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc., Japan's largest mobile carrier, said Dec. 2 it plans to buy a 19-percent interest in Hutchison Telephone Co. Ltd., Hong Kong's biggest wireless provider, for $410 million.Under terms of the agreement, reached with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., which is...
NEW YORK-The astounding success of NTT DoCoMo's mobile Internet access service is a resounding note of affirmation to proponents of wireless Web services, said Crispin K. Vicars at the Yankee Group's conference Nov. 8.By the end of September, DoCoMo's wireless Internet service had 1.7...
TOKYO-DDI Corp., IDO Co. Ltd. and KDD Corp. reportedly will merge by third-quarter 2000 at the earliest to compete with the giant NTT group. If merger talks are successful, a new giant communications company-providing a package of cellular, PHS, long-distance and international offerings-will be...
SINGAPORE-Mobile data is quickly taking off in many parts of Asia, with growth rates in the region comparing favorably to take-up rates in Europe and the United States, say analysts.Although overall percentages of Asian wireless subscribers that use data services are not available, Steven...
TOKYO-Japan's major carriers said they had taken all necessary measures by the end of September to cope with any potential Y2K problems. Now, say the carriers, they are busily preparing for counter measures for the upcoming critical days.Reports say there could be two types...
Microsoft Corp. said it plans to deliver mobile data services in Japan by creating a joint venture company with NTT Mobile Communication Network Inc. called Mobimagic Company Ltd.The purpose of the equally held joint venture will be to develop and market mobile data services...
Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications plans to adopt both W-CDMA and cdma2000 technologies for next-generation mobile-phone systems.The ministry said it will make its decisions regarding 3G technology based on the recommendation of the Telecommunications Technology Council, an advisory committee to the ministry.Japan is...
TOKYO-While operators and venders successfully found a way to interconnect two different systems for third-generation services, NTT DoCoMo and its vendors are now gearing up to develop equipment for wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA).NTT DoCoMo in April selected a total of 11 3G vendors, including three foreign...
Looking back at Telecom '95, Takeshi Kawada said the show has changed from an exhibition for hardware makers to one for software and services. "Today, development of applications holds the key for success. Matsushita is in a good position to propose applications (to) meet...
TOKYO-At the International 3G Mobile Systems Japan '99 conference in early September in Tokyo, Japanese carriers and vendors disclosed their strategies for third-generation (3G) technology.Masayoshi Wakao, managing director of the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), a standardization organization in Japan, gave a...
TOKYO-Since last year, Japan's three Personal Handyphone System carriers have provided location services. This year, such services are expected to gain more accuracy because some carriers and venders are launching location services and systems using global positioning system satellites.Under the leadership of NTT DoCoMo,...
TOKYO-Nissan Motor Co., a major shareholder in nine Japanese cellular companies, will sell all its stakes to Japan Telecom Co. (JT) and DDI Corp. and withdraw from the second-generation cellular business.As a result of the announcement, the Japanese cellular market has essentially been reorganized...
TOKYO-SnapTrack Inc. formed a Tokyo-based subsidiary called SnapTrack Japan Ltd. that will be responsible for expanding SnapTrack's presence in the Japanese telecommunications market and providing local marketing and technical support for its Japanese clients and partners.SnapTrack, a wireless location company, forged a partnership last...
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...
AUSTRALIATelstra will extend its CDMA network in Australia to include country locations currently covered by its GSM network but lacking in analog coverage, said the company.Hutchison Telecoms in Australia announced it will adopt the brand name Orange, the global communications brand of the Hutchison...
SWINDON, U.K.-Lucent Technologies Inc. and Vodafone Group plc announced they made their first third-generation over-the-air trial calls using Lucent's Global Third Generation Code Division Multiple Access technology at Vodafone's headquarters in Newbury, England."These trials, together with Lucent's public demonstrations of over-the-air performance up to...
