I-mode to be opened in November.
http://technology.scmp.com/internet/ZZZDCV60SWC.html
According to regulations, I think they were supposed to do this to this summer.
The question is, what effect may this have? How will it look like
practically? And what possibilities may there be for other players?
(in text for those that do not want to register):
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DoCoMo to open i-mode to ISPs
REUTERS
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NTT DoCoMo chief Keiji Tachikawa is expected to announce on Friday that
DoCoMo will allow IPSs to offer services on its wireless network from
November. Reuters/Toshiyuki Aizawa
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile operator, will allow Internet service
providers to offer their own services on its wireless network from
November, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday.
DoCoMo currently offers access to e-mail and Web pages through its "i-mode"
mobile Internet service, which has managed to grab 30 million customers in
nearly three years and made DoCoMo one of Japan's most profitable companies.
ISPs have been clamouring for a piece of the action, and DoCoMo had
promised that it would prepare its systems to allow them to link into its
wireless network by March 2003.
In a recent news conference, DoCoMo chief executive Keiji Tachikawa hinted
that the i-mode network might be opened up earlier than planned.
A DoCoMo spokesman declined to confirm the newspaper report, saying: "We
are not at the stage where we can make an announcement."
Mr Tachikawa is scheduled to give a news conference on Friday.
/g
/gustaf
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Received on Thu Jan 24 16:03:30 2002