DoCoMo To Delay 3G Rollout Until October
Tuesday, April 24, 2001
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Running into technical problems in setting up 3G (third-generation) wireless networks, NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) will push back its planned rollout of 3G cellular service from the end of May to October, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Monday.
The delay is expected to have repercussions in the global cellular market, causing U.S. and European wireless providers to put off launching 3G services until next year. It is also seen as a direct blow to cellular phone manufacturers, which have been counting on 3G to touch off a wave of new demand.
NTT DoCoMo, which has taken the lead in setting 3G standards, had planned to launch its service May 30, becoming the first in the world to make a full-scale plunge into 3G.
The plan called for NTT DoCoMo to roll out 3G in the 23 wards of Tokyo, plus parts of Yokohama and Kawasaki, signing up 150,000 subscribers in the first year.
The big advantage to 3G is that it will allow for rapid transmission of video, enabling wireless videoconferencing and other applications. But the software required for cell phones and high-speed communications networks to support 3G is extremely complex.
NTT DoCoMo uncovered bugs in the software testing, which raised concerns that a full-scale 3G launch would be marred by communications glitches, according to informed sources. Some industry insiders say further delays are possible if the software problems are not worked out quickly.
(The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tuesday morning edition) |
