Superfast cellphone service in works

Four cellphone carriers have obtained licenses to provide a next-generation service with an ultrafast data transmission speed. The first launch is expected in December 2010.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on Wednesday assigned frequency bands to NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp., Softbank Mobile Corp. and emobile Ltd.

The high-speed transmission, which will have a speed comparable to an optical fiber network, will give cellphone users easier access to the Internet and large-data videos.

NTT DoCoMo will be the first to provide the service. The overall number of users is projected to top 35 million by the end of fiscal 2014, with operators investing about 1.1 trillion yen in the service, industry experts say. (IHT/Asahi: June 12,2009)