The pricing plans for DoCoMo are convoluted, to put it mildly. The basic plan that most people choose is a total ripoff compared to IDO's. NTT charges 4,500 yen as a basic monthly charge, PLUS 40 yen per minute! Thus, if we barely use the phone at all, say 40 minutes per month, we pay
4,500 yen
1,600 yen charges
-----
6,100 yen (about US$55)
IDO, meanwhile, gives you 40 minutes of talking time for the standard fee of 4,500 yen, which is almost 50 percent cheaper than DoCoReam. No per-minute charges till you top 40 minutes on the timer.
But wait, we are talking about *local* calls! NTT of course charges by distance as well as by minutes. Distance is not a factor for IDO's cdma scheme: you can call anywhere in the damn country for the same price as calling next door. The deals get even better for extended use.
So if I am calling Osaka or Fukuoka, or anywhere outside Tokyo, on a regular basis, I can expect to pay probably double--probably triple--that 6,100 yen monthly figure, if not more (I haven't checked exactly what those prices are, but if they're anything like normal NTT pricing, you can expect a proper gouging).
CDMA is WAY cheaper to use in Japan.
I for one, who continues to be reamed by NTT to the tune of $500/month just to use the Net whenever I want, would love nothing better than to see IDO/DDI annihilate the greedy dinosaur pricks. Where the hell are my blood pressure pills!
Yamaqita |
