Sorry if posted before...but worth reading again
NTT Group To Offer New Video Streaming 3G
Service - Sources
Tuesday January 7, 12:56 am ET
TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- The Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (NTT or 9432) group will
offer a new video streaming wireless service to fuel demand for NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s (DCM
or
9437) struggling third-generation "FOMA" service, according to industry sources.
In February, NTT Broadband Initiative Inc. (NTT-BB) and NTT DoCoMo Inc. (DCM or
9437)
will jointly offer a trial service that can transmit real-time moving images between
DoCoMo's 3G
cellular phones and personal computers, the sources said late Monday.
The NTT group aims to attract more subscribers to DoCoMo's "FOMA" service by
increasing
the usability of DoCoMo's 3G cellphones through a business tie-up with NTT-BB.
Using this service, for instance, an employee of a construction firm can use a
camera-equipped
FOMA video phone to view a construction site in real-time while another employee can
see the
moving image on a PC at the firm's office.
Currently, real-time moving images taken by DoCoMo's 3G videophones can only be
transmitted
between such phones.
The sources said the new service is likely to include a video chat function that will allow
3G TV
phone users and PC users to see each other as they talk.
NTT-BB may also ask other NTT group companies for assistance in delivering the trial
service
and intends to commercialize this service once the trial is finished, the sources said.
Since its launch in October 2001, DoCoMo's 3G service has attracted roughly 149,000
users as
of the end of November, less than half of its revised user target of 320,000 by the end
of March
2003.
DoCoMo controls about 60% of Japan's cellphone market but its 3G service has so far
met with
a cool reception, partly due to concern about the bulky, heavy and expensive handsets
needed to
access the service, with batteries that don't last as long as those in 2.5G phones.
DoCoMo recently said it plans to soon sell new 3G handsets that are lighter, cheaper and
have a
longer battery life.
Competition in 3G services in Japan is intensifying, following the April launch of KDDI
Corp.'s
(J.KDD or 9433) "CDMA2000 1x" service on its "au" cellphones and the December launch
of
Japan Telecom Holdings Co.'s (J.JTC or 9434) 3G service via its J-Phone unit.
DoCoMo and J-Phone use the 3G wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA)
wireless
technology, while KDDI's "au" unit uses Qualcomm Inc.'s " CDMA2000 1x" wireless
technology.
W-CDMA technology features data transmission speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second
and
CDMA2000 1x technology features data transmission speeds of up to 144 kbps.