TOKYO-NTT DoCoMo Inc. finally hit the 1 million mark for the number of users of its FOMA third-generation W-CDMA service, two years after launching the service and much later than original estimates.
After sluggish uptake for its 3G services, DoCoMo improved handset quality by lengthening battery life and expanded its coverage area through the use of micro base stations. The operator now provides FOMA network availability to 96 percent of Japan’s population, with plans to expand coverage to 99 percent of the population by the end of March 2004.
The operator also plans to release more advanced FOMA handsets later this year and early next year. It is now targeting to have 1.46 million FOMA subscribers by March.
In contrast, rival operator KDDI Corp. has about 10 million subscribers for its CDMA2000 1X service.
Vodafone K.K., formerly known as J-Phone, said it likely will not meet its 3G subscriber target of reaching 1 million W-CDMA subscribers by March. Vodafone K.K. also struggles with limited coverage and limited 3G handset models.
