TOKYO, JAPAN, November 10, 2005 ---
In the first 10 years after DoCoMo began offering cellular services in 1979, subscribers grew at an average net rate of roughly 30,000 per year. From 1993, two years after DoCoMo launched its 2G mova service, the average annual net gain to the present time has been about four million subscribers. DoCoMo attributes this to reasons including the elimination of subscription deposits in 1993, the start of handset sales in 1994, the end of application fees in 1996 and increasingly affordable handsets along with steady improvements in the development of smaller, lighter models.
DoCoMo revolutionized the mobile market in February 1999 with the introduction of i-mode®, which transformed handsets from mere voice communication tools into mobile Internet devices.
In 2001, DoCoMo launched 3G FOMA services to offer high-speed, multimedia functionality. In July 2004, the company introduced "Osaifu-Keitai" mobile phones with wallet functions for convenient e-commerce applications.
Milestones in the growth of DoCoMo's total subscribers are as follows:
| December 1979: | Launch |
| February 1993: | 1 million |
| April 1996: | 5 million |
| February 1997: | 10 million |
| October 1997: | 15 million |
| August 1998: | 20 million |
| June 1999: | 25 million |
| April 2000: | 30 million |
| February 2001: | 35 million |
| January 2002: | 40 million |
| August 2003: | 45 million |
| November 2005: | 50 million |
About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and
i-mode, FOMA, mova and DoPa Single Service are trademarks or registered trademarks of
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is only available to subscribers in Japan.
