KDDI, Qualcomm Plan JV To Map Out New Cellphone Service"

TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Japan's KDDI Corp. said Thursday it is planning to launch a joint venture later this month with U.S. wireless communications giant Qualcomm Inc. to map out a broadcasting service for cellphone users.

The new company will draw up business plans for a media content distribution service for mobile phone users using Qualcomm's technology, a KDDI spokesman said.

The joint venture will apply to the Japanese telecommunications ministry for the bandwidth needed for the new service, according to local media reports, but the spokesman said details won't be released until later this month.

The move is the latest among Japanese telecom industry players seeking to build new businesses via the unification of broadcasting and telecom services.

Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday it will buy a 2.6% stake in Fuji Television Network Inc., as part of its preparations for a new digital broadcasting service for cellphone users.

But KDDI's new service will be different from the terrestrial digital broadcasting service called "one segment," which DoCoMo and others are slated to offer from April 1, the KDDI spokesman said. KDDI is reportedly seeking a service capable of not only real-time TV reception, but also storing and watching TV programs via mobile phone handsets.

-By Hiroyuki Kachi, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2929; hiroyuki.kachi@dowjones.com

-Edited by Chris Gallagher

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 22nd December 2005