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
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> 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/
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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>
Received on Mon Feb 18 09:03:18 2008