Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Biddle who wrote (28738)	11/11/2002 10:40:56 AM
From: John Biddle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 197030

3G battles hot up in Japan But where's the killer content? By Tony Dennis: Monday 11 November 2002, 12:36 theinquirer.net THE BATTLE to attract subscribers to third generation mobile networks has really started to hot up in Japan. Market leader, NTT DoCoMo has been forced to drop its forecast of one million FOMA subscribers by Q2 2003 to a mere 320,000. The company is currently blaming its poor 3G showing on a lack of 'killer' content and poor battery life for its 3G video handsets. It is also planning to increase the coverage enjoyed by its W-CDMA based FOMA handsets. By contrast, KDDI, the Number Two mobile operator, had 2.65 million subscribers to its CDMA2000 1X service by October 2002. That leaves J-Phone, the Number Three operator in which Vodafone has a considerable share with no current 3G offering. The company is expected to announce shortly that subscriber acquisition figures are down but revenues per user are up. This has triggered Vodafone to issue a statement that its 3G plans are 'on course' - not delayed as some observers keep writing. It says that - like Hutchison 3G - it is conducting trials with 'closed user groups' this year and that it expects to start marketing some 3G applications in 2003 when decent numbers of dual GPRS/W-CDMA handsets are available. Strangely enough, Nokia was deafeningly silent on the matter of such handsets last week when it launched six new models. In an obvious dig at Hutchison, which is forced to partner with o2 in the UK for 2.5G services, Vodafone says it "is only building 3G networks in countries where it already has a 2G network and where there will be a positive return for shareholders." That list very obviously includes Japan. 3G technologies like CDMA2000 and EDGE leverage existing networks so an initial lead in 3G can be expected. The question is, if those existing networks get saturated how do they add extra 3G users? µ