DoCoMo seems to be working fevorishly to get their Assynchronous system to work according to promise. I would hate to be a NEC engineer working on this project.
6/14/2001 11:34:00 PM
(Adds background)
TOKYO, June 15 (Reuters) - Japan's largest mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437) , said on Friday it plans to
replace 1,400 third-generation (3G) mobile handsets made by NEC Corp (6701) in order to upgrade them.
"We are replacing handsets to improve their function, not because of technical problems," said Takumi Suzuki, a
DoCoMo spokesman. The company did not say when the handsets, NEC's FOMA N2001 model, would be
replaced.
The move, effectively a recall, highlights the difficulty DoCoMo is having with super-fast 3G technology,
which allows users to download video and music.
DoCoMo launched a trial 3G service on May 30 for 3,300 corporate and individual users, although it postponed the
rollout of 1,200 handsets capable of video transmission to the end of June.
Japanese newspapers said on Friday that DoCoMo planned to replace NEC handsets starting in early July as it has
received complaints about poor reception.
Suzuki admitted there have been such claims but stressed the main reason for the replacement is to upgrade.
"We are adding new features," such as the capability to connect handsets to a personal computer, Suzuki said.
Users of 3G handsets have complained that the battery life of their phones was shorter than expected, with
some saying the power ran out within a day. Others said their phones would go out of range even within the
trial service area of Tokyo's 23 wards.
E-mail services on 3G and DoCoMo's iMode Internet-capable phones were disrupted on May 31 but DoCoMo said
this had nothing to do with 3G technology and blamed it on the computer servers handling mail.
Shares in DoCoMo were down 3.35 percent at 2.02 million yen on Friday morning, while the benchmark Nikkei fell
1.47 percent.
REUTERS
Rtr 23:34 06-14-01
cbs.marketwatch.com. |
