NTT DoCoMo of Japan today switched on the world’s first 3G
mobile phone network and unveiled new handsets equipped for video
conferencing, according to a report by the BBC. The company hopes
to roll out the 3G service to European users by the end of this
year or early 2002.
NTT DoCoMo has named its 3G service Freedom of Mobile Multimedia
Access (FOMA), which it developed jointly with NEC Corporation.
Initially, the service will operate only within a 20 mile radius of
Tokyo. The service has been running among 4,500 users on a trial
basis since May.
According to reports, the handsets will range in price from
30,000 yen, or £171, to 95,700 yen, or £547.
