TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Vodafone Group PLC's Japanese unit said Tuesday the number of subscribers to its third-generation mobile telephone services has topped 2 million, about three years after the service's launch.
But Vodafone K.K. continues to trail far behind its local rivals KDDI Corp. and NTT DoCoMo Inc. in terms of subscriber numbers.
The Tokyo-based unit of Vodafone said the pace of signups for its 3G services picked up after reaching 1 million in April this year as it expanded its handset lineup, service coverage areas and service content.
New discount rates and strengthened marketing, among other factors, also contributed to its 3G business growth, the company said.
The delayed launch of 3G services has eroded the firm's market share in Japan, though. As of October, NTT DoCoMo had 17.6 million 3G subscribers, while KDDI had 19.8 million and said earlier this month that this figure has now topped 20 million.
-By Kazuhiro Shimamura, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2929; kazuhiro.shimamura@dowjones.com
-Edited by Hugh Lawson
(END) Dow Jones Newswires"
Posted to the site on 22nd November 2005
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