When can we expect DoCoMo to introduce its wideband-CDMA service?
DoCoMo has already built its network and put in orders with equipment manufacturers. What’s left are the handsets and service. We’ve already asked companies to make their handsets and displayed some of them at Telecom ’99, like the video phone or models specifically designed for mobile data transmission. Unlike with ordinary cell phones, there will be many more categories of phones. The new mobile sets will handle not just voice but video, car navigation, data transmission, and music. There will be dedicated sets for the transmission of video approaching [high-definition TV] quality. The problem will lie in deciding what kind of service to offer. DoCoMo is doing a lot of R&D in this area, but we think it’s good to conduct joint development with other operators. In October, we helped launch the Joint Initiative for Mobile Multimedia [JIMM], an organization made up of operators. Vodafone, British Telecom, France Telecom, AT&T Wireless, DoCoMo, SK Telecom, Singapore Telecom have all joine
