3G Video Phone and Coverage Expansion in Japan

DoCoMo has said that it will begin selling a 3G mobile phone equipped for the company's i-motion video-clip transmission service, as well as videophone, on March 1, 2002. DoCoMo already offers models with equipped for videophone, but the FOMA D2101V will be the first FOMA handset equipped both for i-motion and videophone.

DoCoMo has also announced its plans to expand its 3G coverage areas. DoCoMo's regional subsidiaries DoCoMo Tokai and DoCoMo Kansai will expand their respective 3G service areas in early March. In addition, DoCoMo Hokkaido, DoCoMo Tohoku, DoCoMo Hokuriku, DoCoMo Chugoku, DoCoMo Shikoku and DoCoMo Kyushu will launch 3G services in major areas of their respective markets beginning from April. The FOMA service will be available in virtually every major city and cover 60% of the nation's populated areas as of April. Also, as a result of further expansion schedule this autumn, DoCoMo says that the 3G service area will cover 90% of all populated areas by the end of fiscal 2002.

The videophone includes two built in cameras, one (on front face of unit) for videophone and the other (on top edge) for digital video/photos with 3x zoom, with a 64kbps transmission speed.

The phone will also send/receive i-mode emails of up to 10,000 alphanumeric symbols (or 5,000 full-space Japanese characters), with maximum 384 Kbps downlink connection. The handset has dimensions of 150 mm x 55 mm x 28 mm and weighs approximately 160 grams. The talktime if 60 minutes, and is only slightly affected by videophone usage. Stand by is 55 hours. The display is 132x162 pixels and supports 262,144 colours.

In this summer the company will introduce "dual network" system, which will enable users who own both a FOMA and conventional (PDC) DoCoMo mobile phone to use the same phone number for both handsets."

Posted to the site on 22nd February 2002