Japan - Mobile Market - 3G & Mobile Data

Synopsis

Though NTT DoCoMo offered the world’s first 3G mobile phone service in late 2001, KDDI became the dominant force in terms of numbers in the 3G market in Japan. Nevertheless, NTT’s FOMA service began making impressive strides in 2004 and into 2005. Vodafone K.K. (formerly J-Phone), the third player in the Japanese 3G market, was struggling to attract subscribers and was taken over by Softbank early in 2006. With other players eager to enter the 3G market, two additional licences were awarded in November 2005. This report examines one of the world’s top 3G markets, with over 80 million 3G subscribers by the end of 2007, as well as plans for 4G. In addition, it provides an update on mobile data and content services.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Third Generation (3G) mobile
  • 2.1 Overview
    • 2.1.1 Regulatory issues
    • 2.1.2 High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)
  • 2.2 3G operators
    • 2.2.1 KDDI Corp
    • 2.2.2 NTT DoCoMo
    • 2.2.3 Vodafone K.K. (formerly J-Phone)
    • 2.2.4 New entrants into the Japanese 3G market
  • 2.3 3G services and content
• 3. Fourth Generation (4G) mobile
  • 3.1 Government promotion of 4G development
  • 3.2 NTT DoCoMo’s 4G plans
  • 3.3 KDDI’s 4G plans
• 4. Mobile services
  • 4.1 Overview
  • 4.2 Mobile Enterprise Alliance Japan
• 5. Mobile voice services
  • 5.1 Prepaid cards
  • 5.2 Mobile satellite services (MSS)
    • 5.2.1 NStar satellites
    • 5.2.2 ORBCOMM Japan Ltd
    • 5.2.3 Satellite communications network for mobile phones
    • 5.2.4 KDDI and Iridium
• 6. Mobile data services
  • 6.1 Analysis – mobile data market
  • 6.2 Mobile Internet
    • 6.2.1 NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode
    • 6.2.2 KDDI’s EZweb
    • 6.2.3 Vodafone K.K.’s Vodafone Live!
    • 6.2.4 Mobile Internet content
  • 6.3 Short Message Service (SMS)
  • 6.4 Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
    • 6.4.1 Camera-equipped mobile phones
  • 6.5 General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
  • 6.6 Push-to-Talk (PTT)
  • 6.7 BlackBerry
• 7. Mobile content and applications
  • 7.1 Content for mobile market
  • 7.2 Global Positioning System (GPS)
  • 7.3 M-commerce / m-cash
  • 7.4 Mobile gaming
  • 7.5 Mobile conferencing
  • 7.6 Mobile videoconferencing / mobile video
  • 7.7 Mobile TV and radio
    • 7.7.1 Digital Terrestrial TV (DTTV) for mobile phones
    • 7.7.2 Mobile satellite TV broadcasting
  • 7.8 Mobile ringtone and music downloads
    • 7.8.1 KDDI Chaku Uta / Chaku Uta Full
    • 7.8.2 NTT DoCoMo / Tower Records
    • 7.8.3 NTT DoCoMo / Microsoft
    • 7.8.4 NTT DoCoMo / Warner Music
  • 7.9 QR code readers
  • 7.10 Mobile books
  • 7.11 Mobile Applications
    • 7.11.1 Earthquake lerts
    • 7.11.2 Personal trainer
    • 7.11.3 Child friendly handset
• 8. Related reports