Japan's DoCoMo to Stop Accepting New 2G Customers

Japan's NTT DoCoMo say that it will stop accepting new customers for its 2G mova mobile phone service from the beginning of December. The company also announced that it will waive the normal charge of 2,100 yen (including tax) for any mova user who transfers to a 3G subscription beginning August 8.

Given that 2G subscribers have been steadily migrating to DoCoMo's 3G service, FOMA, the company has decided to eventually discontinue its legacy 2G service and concentrate on FOMA. The timing of the 2G service's actual termination will be decided depending on market factors such as how fast 2G users continue to migrate to 3G.

Additionally, DoCoMo will stop accepting applications for its car phones by the end of November.

Figures from the Mobile World database report that DoCoMo ended the first half of this year with just under 8.5 million 2G subscribers - compared to a 3G subscriber base of 45.2 million.

Posted to the site on 7th August 2008