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KDDI postpones cdma2000 1x launch

TOKYO—Japan's KDDI Corp. said it was postponing the launch of its high-speed mobile Internet access service from this fall to next April.KDDI said the cdma2000 1x-based service planned by its au wireless subsidiary was not being delayed by standards glitches, but by software issues."There...

Gent wants better performance from Japan Telecom

Any plans to take the J-Phone wireless business of Japan Telecom Co. Ltd. public must wait until the performance of its parent improves, said Chris Gent, chief executive of Vodafone Group plc, which recently announced its offer to acquire controlling interest in the Japanese...

J-Phone to provide services with 3-D Disney characters

TOKYO—J-Phone Group, a mobile business unit of Japan Telecom on 1 October will start providing a variety of services using Disney characters for its J-Sky service users, J-Phone announced on 10 September. J-Sky is an Internet access services provided by J-Phone.According to J-Phone,...

J-Phone companies to merge into single structure

TOKYO—The board of directors for the four J-Phone Communications Co. Ltd. companies; East, Central, West and Japan Telecom, agreed to merge their companies into a single J-Phone structure.The merged company, to be named J-Phone Co. Ltd., is expected to provide faster decision-making processes, increased...

Vodafone completes acquisitions

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc has completed its acquisition of the interests of British Telecommunications Plc (BT) in Japan Telecom Co. Ltd. (JT) and J-Phone Communications Co. Ltd. (JPC) for a cash consideration of about $4.348 billion.

Vodafone focuses on existing subscribers: Hopes to expand brand worldwide

After a year in which its global customer base increased from 53 million customers to a staggering 83 million customers, U.K.-based Vodafone Group plc said it will turn its attention this year from rounding up more subscribers to making money off the ones it...

BT to spin off wireless in response to debt

In a dramatic move to bolster its value and trim debt, British Telecom said last week it would spin off its wireless unit, BT Wireless, as a separately traded company, and temporarily suspend dividend payments. The telecom giant said it expects the moves to...

Vodafone buys BT stakes in Japan, Spain

LONDON-Vodafone Group plc has agreed to pay $6.9 billion total for British Telecommunications plc's interests in Japan and Spain.The sale includes BT's 20-percent stake in Japan Telecom and its 20-percent stake in J-Phone Communications, JT's mobile subsidiary, making Vodafone the largest shareholder of JT...

Soul searching for Britain’s BT

GENEVA-How the mighty have fallen. British Telecommunications (BT), once ranked among the world's most powerful carriers, is finding itself buckling under a crippling mountain of debt in a climate where raising equity in the telecom/information technology (IT) sector has hit an all-time low. In...

Vodafone challenges NTT DoCoMo in home market

TOKYO-Vodafone Group, the largest mobile carrier in the world, announced in May it will acquire British Telecommunications' (BT) entire stake in Japan Telecom Group (JT) for 652.3 billion yen (US$5.4 billion). Following the deal, Vodafone Group will hold a 45-percent stake in Japan Telecom...

Toyota sells J-Phone stakes

TOKYO-Toyota Motor Corp. sold its stakes in three regional wireless companies to Japan Telecom for an undisclosed amount, international press reports said. J-Phone Communications is Japan's second-largest mobile carrier and is owned 54 percent by Japan Telecom.Toyota held 1.97 percent of J-Phone East, 1.98...

Merger activity quieter in 1Q

NEW YORK-Not surprisingly, the number and size of mergers and acquisitions for which a dollar value was made public declined markedly in all industries when compared to the same period a year ago, Los Angeles-based Mergerstat reported.Announced transactions involving U.S. companies totaled 2,224, down...

Japan Telecom delays 3G launch

TOKYO-Citing a delay in hardware development, Japan Telecom Co. Ltd. said it would delay the deployment of third generation services from this December until summer 2002. The delay will place Japan's third-largest operator more than a year behind market leader NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s 3G...

Vodafone ups Japan Telecom stake

LONDON-As speculated earlier this week, Vodafone Group plc said it agreed to acquire AT&T's Corp.'s 10-percent economic interest in Japan Telecom Co. for $1.35 billion in cash. Following the completion of the transaction, Vodafone will hold 25 percent of Japan Telecom's equity.The acquisition marks...

World Briefs: Asia

NTT DoCoMo, announced that it set the public offering prices for new shares at $17,500 per share for 400,000 shares. If the additional 60,000 shares are issued at the same price, the issue amount will total $8.1 billion, the firm said. The payment due...

NTT DoCoMo steps up global strategy

TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo has been gearing up its global strategy, concluding one investment agreement after another. Since December 1999, it has invested in carriers in Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Britain.At the end of November 2000, DoCoMo announced another big deal with a U.S. carrier,...

KDDI to launch HDR services

TOKYO-KDDI, the second-largest carrier in Japan, has decided to launch its third-generation (3G) services based on High Data Rate (HDR) technology. KDDI will launch its HDR services initially using the 800 MHz band, the spectrum in which it provides second-generation (2G) services.KDDI is scheduled...

KDDI expands international roaming services: Other Japanese operators restricted by technology

TOKYO-KDDI, the sole cdmaOne operator in Japan, has been expanding its international roaming services, fully using its universally standardized cdmaOne technology.In January, KDDI launched international roaming services in Canada in cooperation with Telus Mobility, a major Canadian carrier. Canada will become the fifth country...

Vodafone to acquire Eircell

STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Vodafone Group plc and Ireland's Eircom plc reached an agreement calling for Vodafone to acquire the business of Eircell, Eircom's mobile operator, for about $4.1 billion in stock.According to the deal, Eircell will be demerged from Eircom into a newly incorporated company, Eircell...

BT reported to eye stake in Japan Telecom

TOKYO-British Telecommunications plc is in the process of increasing its current 15-percent stake in Japan Telecom Co. Ltd., according to Reuters. The move comes at the same time BT rival Vodafone Group is also trying to gain a larger share of Japan's third-largest telecom...

Gent shows foresight, confidence, determination in building, leading world’s largest mobile carrier

Chris Gent has had quite a year.For the chief executive of Vodafone Group plc, 2000 began with a hostile takeover of Mannesmann AG, parent of its rival Orange plc, and continued with a spending spree for third-generation licenses across Europe. The year also marked...

Music distribution poised to be `killer app’ for Japan

TOKYO-The mobile music distribution business is going to take off in Japan, according to industry representatives. Some carriers have already revealed their services, while others are promoting field tests in cooperation with vendors.NTT DoCoMo at the beginning of 2000 established a joint venture with...

Japanese vendors take 3G handset lead

TOKYO-Japanese vendors are in the final stages of developing third-generation (3G) terminals. Japanese 3G services are scheduled to be launched earlier than any other country in May 2001 by NTT DoCoMo, followed by J-Phone, the mobile business of Japan Telecom and the newly merged...

3G services only months away in Japan

TOKYO-The third-generation (3G) business plans and service strategies of three Japanese cellular carriers are becoming more concrete. NTT DoCoMo and J-Phone Group, the mobile business of Japan Telecom, are going to launch 3G services based on wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA) technology in 2001, and the country's...