IP Mobile to enter Japan mobile broadband market
The Radio Regulatory Council of the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) have made a recommendation to allocate the 2GHz spectrum to IP Mobile Incorporated (IPMobile). With this decision, IP Mobile will enter the mobile broadband market using TD-CDMA (also known as UMTS TDD), a 3G IMT-2000 technology. By introducing TD-CDMA, as well as a new business model, IPMobile hopes to create a ‘mobile data communications market’ in Japan.
The company plans to introduce the said servcies in three cities — Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka — in October 2006, with nationwide coverage by 2012. Upon initial launch in October 2006, IP Mobile plans to offer flat rate Mobile Broadband services with downlink speeds of up to 5.2Mbps and uplink speeds up to 858Kpbs.
Coverage will be planned according to regions with high demand for data communication services and areas with low broadband penetration, the company said. The commercial rollout plan calls for 3,000 base stations to be deployed by the end of 2007 and 8,500 by 2012.
IP Mobile further revealed that a variety of high speed data communication terminals will be available, including card-type, embedded, modem devices and portable devices.
Snipped from Digital Media Asia.