TOKYO, JAPAN, December 3, 2003 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that beginning December 6, 2003, the service area for DoCoMo's FOMA® third-generation (3G) mobile phones will cover 99.4% of the population in the Kanto-Koshinetsu* region. Its eight regional subsidiaries will also expand FOMA service to an area encompassing approximately 98% of the nationwide population by the end of December.
In addition, DoCoMo will increase the number of FOMA base stations in existing service areas to upgrade service quality. Base stations will be expanded to 3,200 locations in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region and 10,700 nationwide by the end of December. This includes expanding In-building Mobile Communication Systems to 358 locations in the Kanto-Koshinetsu region and about 800 nationwide, which will enable wider use of FOMA service in high-rise buildings, underground shopping areas and train stations. The number of subway stations with FOMA access will increase from seven to 52 as a result.
DoCoMo will continue to enlarge its FOMA service area, targeting 99% coverage of Japan's population by the end of March 2004.
| *Note: |
Kanto-Koshinetsu includes greater Metropolitan Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Gunma, Niigata, Yamanashi, and Nagano. |
About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is the world's leading mobile communications company with more than 47 million customers. The company provides a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services. These include
i-mode®, the world's most popular mobile internet service, which provides e-mail and internet access to over 40 million subscribers, and FOMA®, launched in 2001 as the world's first 3G mobile service based on
W-CDMA. In addition to wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe and North and South America, the company is expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and multimedia service providers in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North and South America.
NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit
www.docomo.ne.jp/english
i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries.
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is available only to subscribers in Japan.
