Sorry - forgot the link to the Japanese site. The 2nd URL gives a more
up-to-date picture.
http://www.emobile.jp/business/index.html
http://www.emobile.jp/business/network.html
Although they are saying March for start of the roaming on the DoCoMo voice
network, I haven't seen much news about this so wonder when exactly it will
happen. I know they do have a press release coming up soon so perhaps it
will be announced then. The most important questions for me will be - will
they offer number portability and will their voice prices be competitive? If
so I can't see any reason not to switch from DoCoMo.
Andrew
On Feb 18, 2008 4:03 PM, Andrew Shuttleworth <andrew@cvp.jp> wrote:
> Just a clarification - eMobile may be partly roaming on the DoCoMo
> network, but they are of course building out their own network as well:
>
> http://www.emobile.jp/en/business.html (There's a bit more info on the
> Japanese page).
>
> As for why DoCoMo do it, was there not a law enforced last year that
> obligated carriers to open up their networks to MNVOs? (Thought I heard that
> but couldn't find anything after a quick Google).
>
> I'm wondering whether Apple has considered the MVNO route for Japan? I
> know it's not their core business and so they probably don't want to go
> there, but it would give them a lot more control.
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
> On Feb 18, 2008 9:09 AM, Tim Smith <tim@freeverse.jp> wrote:
>
> > I can vouch for the e-Mobile service. Been using it quite awhile. While
> > the service is a bit spotty, the overall performance is quite good and
> > inline with the k-tai impress results. I also have Au and SB data
> > services. Between them, the Softbank is clearly the winner.
> >
> > Bear in mind eMobile is running on top of the NTT HSPDA network as an
> > MNVO - I wonder how Docomo takes this? Perhaps they really aren't
> > interested in the 'business telecom' ??
> >
> > Nik Frengle wrote:
> > > Thanks for that Pierre. Looking at the article, it looks like e-Mobile
> > are
> > > definitely the way to go: Best pricing, speed competitive or better
> > than
> > > DoCoMo's (don't even talk about KDDI's, which was really low in this
> > test),
> > > and a very good modem (I have the same one, made by Huawei, and using
> > it in
> > > the UK, and the really good thing about it is that it is plug n play,
> > and
> > > the client is installed and started when you plug it in.) And probably
> > > unlike the DoCoMo one (though I don't know), the e-Mobile modem is
> > also
> > > GSM/GPRS/Edge compatible.
> > > Of course, in Japan e-Mobile is not really an option if you are
> > outside of
> > > Kanto or Kansai, and I don't know whether having all of the other
> > radios is
> > > useful or not, since they would have to have roaming agreements in the
> > > countries you were going to. There is a whole seperate discussion
> > there, but
> > > if they WANTED to have roaming agreements, it is dead simple, since
> > there
> > > are roaming agreement aggregators, and if you sign a contract with
> > them you
> > > get access to all of the roaming agreements under their control. This
> > > doesn't give the carrier the sort of control that Japanese carriers
> > insist
> > > on in most aspects of their business, which is why Vodafone Japan, now
> > > Softbank, negotiated each roaming agreement individually, as did
> > DoCoMo. I
> > > am not sure about KDDI, but roaming with them is slightly limited
> > anyway.
> > > This tight control is something that has it's pluses and minuses, but
> > for a
> > > small carrier starting out, it seems like the ability to instantly
> > offer
> > > international roaming to compete with the big boys would be worth some
> > loss
> > > of control. The Huawei modem can, by the way, be unlocked. (
> > > http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696311).
> > > On Feb 17, 2008 11:27 AM, pierre-louis <
> > > pierre-louis.hazart@bouyguestelecom.jp> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >> Hey there !
> > >>
> > >> Hope your week-end was great.
> > >> Here is an excellent article comparing the data-plan of eMobile,
> > DoCoMo
> > >> and
> > >> KDDI.
> > >> For those who don't read Japanese, just check out the charts, it's
> > pretty
> > >> clear.
> > >> http://bb.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/special/20626.html
> > >>
> > >> Pierre-Louis
> > >>
> > >> -----Message d'origine-----
> > >> De : keitai-l-bounce@appelsiini.net [mailto:
> > keitai-l-bounce@appelsiini.net
> > >> ]
> > >> De la part de Andrew Shuttleworth
> > >> Envoyé : mardi 12 février 2008 10:56
> > >> À : keitai-l@appelsiini.net
> > >> Objet : (keitai-l) Re: Docomo unlimited data settings (was SIM cards
> > in
> > >> Japan 2008)
> > >>
> > >> Note that the DoCoMo flat rate plan doesn't allow streaming video,
> > FTP
> > >> and maybe VOiP. The wording was rather vague. It said something like
> > >> "we don't allow n, n, n, and n, although there may be some
> > >> exceptions".
> > >>
> > >> I don't want to mess around with restrictions like that. Unless they
> > >> improve my next move will be to eMobile, in spite of the coverage
> > >> restrictions. I think it's good to support new and innovative
> > >> companies like them.
> > >>
> > >> Andrew
> > >>
> > >> On Feb 12, 2008 10:16 AM, Kyle Barrow <kyle@pukupi.com> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Softbank do have one "PC" packet plan hidden away at 0.02 yen /
> > packet:
> > >>>
> > >>> Packet Teigaku Biz:
> > >>>
> > http://mb.softbank.jp/mb/price_plan/3G/orange_blue/blue/packet_biz.html
> > >>>
> > >>> I would still prefer to move to Docomo's unlimited PC packet plan
> > but
> > >>> am waiting to hear if anyone has managed to successfully set this up
> > >>> on an overseas mobile.
> > >>>
> > >>> Cheers
> > >>>
> > >>> Kyle
> > >>>
> > >> This mail was sent to address pierre-louis.hazart@bouyguestelecom.jp
> > >> Need archives? How to unsubscribe?
> > http://www.appelsiini.net/keitai-l/
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> This mail was sent to address nfrengle@gmail.com
> > >> Need archives? How to unsubscribe?
> > http://www.appelsiini.net/keitai-l/
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > This mail was sent to address tim@freeverse.jp
> > > Need archives? How to unsubscribe? http://www.appelsiini.net/keitai-l/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > This mail was sent to address andrew.shuttleworth@gmail.com
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> >
> >
>
Received on Mon Feb 18 09:09:42 2008