LONDON (Brand Republic) – Japanese mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo is considering scaling back the launch of its third-generation broadband mobile services because of software problems.
Japan’s leading mobile network had expected to launch a full-scale commercial broadband mobile service in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, at the end of next month -- the first of the 3G networks in the world to do so.
DoCoMo’s 3G network is in place and two handset makers have devices ready for the launch.
Other Japanese operators have also had to delay their services because of software and equipment failures. J-Phone, which is partly owned by Vodafone and BT, is delaying its service until next year.
The software problems are believed to be due to failure to ensure stability of signals which cannot differentiate 3G from current technology.