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Wanted:
Online Editor/Content Manager
Mobile Media Int'l www.mmint.com seeks an Asst. Web Editor/Content Manager for its mobile content services. Candidates should be enthusiastic, Netherlands-based, native English speakers with strong editorial skills, experience with online editing and a wide array content management, understanding of mobile services, and basic knowledge of HTML.
Send resume via email to
jobs@mmint.com
Internet Mobile Phone Rental
Need an Internet-mobile phone for your trip to Japan or Korea? Order online now and have your handset delivered to in the USA or in Japan/Korea in time for your arrival in Japan or Korea! Find out more...
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i-mode |
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> 45.239m |
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EZWeb |
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> 19.464m |
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J-Sky |
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> 12.769m |
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PHS |
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> 4.49m |
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TOTAL |
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> 77.472m | |
Japanese 3G Subscribers
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Au 3G: |
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> 19.849m |
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FOMA: |
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> 17.58m |
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J-Phone 3G: |
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> 2m |
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TOTAL |
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> 39.429m | |
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Updated 11/30/2005 |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/27/2005
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Canon to launch Ixy camera with built-in Wi-Fi
Thursday, October 27, 2005 |
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Summary
Canon will launch a version of its compact Ixy digital still camera with built-in Wi-Fi in Japan this December.
The Ixy Digital Wireless (Canon uses the Ixus brand name in some markets) is Canon’s first camera with built-in Wi-Fi and will offer users the ability to automatically transfer pictures to a personal computer via the wireless link as the pictures are taken. It will also be possible to remotely control the camera from the PC. Wireless printing will also be possible via a printer adapter that will ship bundled with the camera. The camera and adapter will come preprogrammed to work together so users will be spared the tedious task of setting up the Wi-Fi link between the two devices. A printer with USB port and PictBridge is required for the wireless printing function to work. PictBridge is a standard that allows devices like cameras to control printers. The camera’s specifications are similar to those of the Ixy Digital 60, which went on sale in September. The new camera has a 5-megapixel image sensor and 3X optical zoom lens. It will be available in Japan from December and will cost about YEN 50,000 (US$433). Canon plans to put it on sale in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, although launch dates have not yet been decided. (Arnnet) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/17/2005
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Japan to offer VoIP for mobiles
Monday, October 17, 2005 |
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Summary
Japan is setting up a new network for mobile phones that will allow people to connect to the internet for cheaper and quicker phone calls. The government planned to introduce mobile Voice over Internet telephony by 2007, officials said on Thursday. The mobile service under consideration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will allow people to use Voice-over-Internet Protocol, or VoIP, phone service, on mobile phones - similar to what is now available on fixed lines. The mobile VoIP services now more common allow people merely to connect their cell phones to the net at "hot spots" using Wi-Fi wireless access. (SMH) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/30/2005
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Softbank to offer Internet ’hot spots’ for Yahoo! BB customers
Tuesday, August 30, 2005 |
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Summary
Japanese Internet group Softbank, which provides Japan’s Yahoo broadband service, will offer subscribers a wireless Internet service in "hot spots" such as train stations from October, the company said. Softbank is to integrate its own wireless local area network with that of its subsidiary Japan Telecom, which it bought in 2004, to offer a single service called "BB Mobile Point" accessible from 820 points in Japan. The subscription is expected to cost as little as 315 yen (2.84 dollars) per month, in addition to the cost of the fixed-line broadband, which would be the lowest in the market. There will be no limit on connection time or downloads. But "Yahoo! BB", which has about five million fixed-line broadband subscribers, faces competition on the new service from Livedoor, a popular Japanese Internet portal. (Today Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/23/2005
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Seamless wireless mobility between 3G and WLAN
Thursday, June 23, 2005 |
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Summary
Nortel and BB Mobile, a SOFTBANK Group company, have achieved a second wireless industry milestone with what is believed to be the world’s first seamless handoff of voice and data services between a 3G cellular network operating on the 1.7 GHz radio frequency band and a wireless local area network (LAN). The test calls, completed on a live UMTS 3G cellular network and an 802.11 wireless LAN, signal a new level of freedom, access and mobility for mobile phone users. Without interruption and using a single device, users will now be able to roam securely between 3G wireless networks and Wi-Fi networks or wireless LANs while browsing the Internet, sending and receiving e-mails, downloading files, and performing other high-speed wireless broadband voice and data services. This seamless mobility is enabled by intelligence built into the network by Nortel. (3GNewsroom) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/16/2005
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Livedoor to begin wireless LAN, Fuji TV to use it under tie-up
Thursday, June 16, 2005 |
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Summary
Livedoor Co. said Wednesday it will launch an inexpensive public-use local area network communications service next month in Tokyo, joining NTT Communications Corp. and Softbank Corp. in offering the service.
The service will be also utilized by Fuji Television Network Inc. as the first deal of its business alliance with Livedoor, it said. Video images taken by Fuji TV camera crew members and reporters outside the studios can be transmitted to the broadcaster’s headquarters via Livedoor’s wireless LAN. The service, which will enable high-speed Internet connections via laptop computers, will be initially offered in selected locations in Tokyo from late July at a fixed fee of 525 yen per month, according to Livedoor. The service, to be offered in a tie-up with PoweredCom Inc., will get under way in the whole area within the JR Yamanote Loop Line, one of Tokyo’s busiest commuter train lines, on Oct. 1. PoweredCom, a telecommunications firm affiliated with Tokyo Electric Power Co., will set up 2,200 base stations on power polls in Tokyo for the wireless LAN service. At a press conference to announce the new business, Livedoor President Takafumi Horie said the Internet portal operator intends to offer the service nationwide in the future in the hope of winning 1 million users. (Kyodo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/13/2005
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Fuji TV to utilize Livedoor LAN under new alliance
Monday, June 13, 2005 |
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Summary
Fuji Television Network Inc. has agreed with Livedoor Co. to use the Internet firm’s new wireless local area network service as the first deal under their business alliance, sources said Saturday. Fuji TV and Livedoor have discussed the details of the capital and operational tieup since they struck the deal in mid-April to end their high-profile takeover battle for Nippon Broadcasting System Inc. In the first deal, the TV broadcaster will use Livedoor’s wireless LAN service, which will be launched in July in the central Tokyo area, for such purposes as transmitting video images taken by TV cameramen working outside the studios, the sources said. Earlier this year, Livedoor bought a major stake in Nippon Broadcasting, a radio station belonging to the Fujisankei media conglomerate led by Fuji TV, to take over the firm. During the battle with Fuji TV, which tried to make Nippon Broadcasting its own subsidiary, Livedoor proposed forming an alliance with the TV broadcaster, calling for integrating Internet and broadcasting services. (Japan Times) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/9/2005
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Nintendo to set up 1,000 free wireless LAN centers for games
Thursday, June 09, 2005 |
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Summary
Nintendo Co. said Tuesday it will create some 1,000 locations by the end of this year in Japan where users of its game consoles can play games via the Internet for free. More than 90 percent of users of playable consoles will be able to play games there, said Satoru Iwata, president of the game machines and software maker, at a press gathering to explain the company’s plan. The outlets will be equipped with wireless local area network that eliminates the troublesome process of hooking up consoles to the Internet, Iwata said. When users bring their machines to a wireless LAN center, they can readily play games with other people. Nintendo plans to release two games playable at the outlets by year-end, Iwata said. In addition, 25 software houses are developing games for the new service, he said. (Kyodo) |
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IP phones have more subscribers than ISDN
Thursday, June 09, 2005 |
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Summary
Internet protocol telephony services expanded sharply in Japan in fiscal 2004 to last March 31, with subscriber numbers topping those of integrated services digital networks at the end of the year, according to government data released Wednesday. The number of subscribers to the low-cost IP phone service totaled 8.3 million at the end of March, up 57.2 percent over a year earlier, while the ISDN service, once regarded as an ace for high-speed telecommunication, had 7.98 million subscribers, down 7.5 percent, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a preliminary report. The 57.2 percent growth spells an increase of 3.02 million subscribers from fiscal 2003, the first year for which the ministry released IP phone data. The ministry also said regular fixed-line telephone and ISDN services combined had 59.61 million subscribers, down 1.0 percent for the first fall below 60 million since the end of fiscal 1994, reflecting an increased flight of users to IP phones and mobile phones. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. commanded 97.8 percent of the fixed-line phone market, down slightly from 98.9 percent, due to market advances by new common carriers such as KDDI Corp. and Japan Telecom Co. (Kyodo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/21/2005
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NTT DoCoMo launches Motorola M1000 Wi-fi Smartphone
Thursday, April 21, 2005 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo has revealed details on their latest offering of business-targeted mobile handsets, the M1000. Dubbed as the FOMA M1000, it is a creation of Motorola. With a hi-resolution 2.9-inch touch screen display, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 1.1, the M1000 is ready to go on WCDMA, GSM, GPRS and public WiFi networks, the said. The company claims that M1000 will allow access to LANs in airports, subways, coffee shops and practically anywhere where a user can get access. Software support for MS Word, Excel, PDF and PowerPoint files is included, while developers get a free software development kit to create custom applications for your own needs. Memory included is 32MB TransFlash, which can be swapped out or adapted to SD with an adapter. Photo capture is with a 1.31 megapixel camera. (Digital Media Asia) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/31/2005
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Wireless computer networks in Japan remain vulnerable
Thursday, March 31, 2005 |
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Summary
Wireless computer networks across Japan are still vulnerable to illegal access, the National Police Agency said in an annual survey released Thursday. The NPA sent questionnaires to 2,000 companies, local government offices, hospitals, universities and other bodies across Japan from November to December last year. The survey found that 42.4% of companies and local government offices have information security policies in place, but many of them have yet to establish measures to protect wireless local area networks, the NPA said (JapanToday) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/26/2004
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Sony to Sell Airboard Wireless LAN Module
Monday, July 26, 2004 |
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Summary
The MiniPCI wireless LAN module incorporated in Sony’s Airboard series of network-capable, liquid-crystal TVs, is to be sold as an independent product. The SWU-AGK152M module supports two wireless standards -- the IEEE 802.11a operating in the 5GHz band, and the IEEE 802.11g that uses the 2.4GHz band. The user can choose which standard to use, according to the situation and the communication distance. The IEEE 802.11a standard is free from interference by sources such as microwave ovens, but it covers only a short distance. The IEEE 802.11g standard may be subject to interference, but offers a potentially longer communication distance. As well as releasing its wireless LAN module, Sony will offer an installation consulting service. This will encompass advice on designing and installing the antenna required for incorporating the module in a product.
(NE Asia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/1/2004
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Softbank to Expand Wi-Fi Access, Roaming
Thursday, July 01, 2004 |
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Summary
Customers of Yahoo BB, Japan’s largest high-speed Internet provider, will soon be able to surf the Web at over 15,000 wireless Internet access points in 42 countries including Japan. Softbank BB and Yahoo Japan Corp have signed wireless roaming agreements with four companies including closely held U.S.-based Wi-Fi network provider Boingo Wireless Inc and T-Systems International, a unit of Deutsche Telekom. The technology has taken off in the United States, where professionals commonly carry laptop computers, and businesses have begun to add free access to draw customers, but it is still an emerging technology in Japan, where mobile phones are more popular for quick Internet access. Yahoo BB customers will be able to roam on its partner companies’ Wi-Fi networks at a charge of 40 yen a minute, nearly four times the 10 cent-a-minute rate that Wi-Fi provider T-Mobile USA charges for its customers. Softbank BB said customers of its roaming partners will also be able to access Yahoo BB’s Wi-Fi network in Japan. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/23/2004
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Fujitsu, Tokyo Electron, Others Conduct Test of VoIP over Wireless LAN Network
Wednesday, June 23, 2004 |
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Summary
11 companies have succeeded in interoperability and operational tests of various equipment performing voice communication solutions on the wireless LAN infrastructure. Moreover, they said that the system could be practically used in the real world. The experiment is referred to as "VoWLAN" or voice over wireless local area network. The companies taking part in the test were from a variety of vendors, re-sellers and system integrators providing wireless LAN switches, mobile IP phones to be used on wireless LAN, soft phones, authentication servers, VoIP devices, switches and testing equipment. Although some areas are still being investigated, viable configuration settings in the multi-vendor environment have been found and potential issues toward the popular deployment have been identified.
(NE Asia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/2/2004
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NTT-Neomeit to Provide Japan’s First Shared Wireless LAN Access Point Service
Wednesday, June 02, 2004 |
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Summary
NTT-Neomeit will launch on June 7 Japan’s first shared public wireless LAN access point service at Osaka International Airport and the primary stations of West Japan Railway Company. The new AP service is capable of accommodating more than one public wireless LAN access service to solve the existing problems associated with public LAN access services, such as the lack of installation sites and radio frequency interference. The service supports all IEEE802.11x wireless LAN standards, and features a series of leading access control technologies, including WEP and MAC address authentication, to enable service providers to offer high-quality, secure public LAN access services. (JCN Network) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/21/2004
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Japan Offers by Far Fastest, Cheapest Broadband Services: OECD
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 |
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Summary
Japanese firms are offering by far the cheapest and fastest broadband services of companies operating in 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the first such report compiled by the international organization. The survey, which was conducted in October 2003, shows Japanese companies leading the pack with KDDI Corp, NTT East Corp. and usen Corp offering throughput of over 100Mbps with their fiber-optic networks. In addition, no foreign firms matched the copper phone line-based digital subscriber line (DSL) service of eAccess Ltd, another Japanese firm, featuring a throughput of 40Mbps. Japanese companies were far ahead of such major forces as Sweden’s Bostream AB with throughput of 26 mbps and South Korea’s Hanaro Telecom Inc.’s throughput of 20 mbps. Verizon, which offered the fastest service in the United States, delivers only 7.1Mbps. Three services offered by two Japanese companies made the list of the world’s cheapest services, among those with throughput of at least 10 mbps. They are the 12-mbps Yahoo BB service of Yahoo Japan Corp, at 19.09 dollars per month; KDDI’s 100Mbps service, which costs 20.07 dollars; and Yahoo BB’s 26Mbps service, at 20.54 dollars.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/16/2004
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Softbank to Buy Movie Television’s Content Operations
Friday, April 16, 2004 |
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Summary
Masayoshi Son’s Softbank Corp. plans to buy Movie Television Inc.’s distribution operations, giving the billionaire access to video content as he vies for leadership in Japan’s high-speed Internet services market. Softbank will buy the business pending approval from the Tokyo District Court, Movie Television said in a Tokyo Stock Exchange release. The distributor of TV dramas such as Chicago Hope in Japan filed for bankruptcy protection with 38 billion yen ($355 million) of debt on March 1.
(Bloomberg) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/14/2004
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Airespace, NTT DoCoMo Work to Make LWAPP Real WLAN Standard: Founder
Wednesday, April 14, 2004 |
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Summary
There are an increasing number of mobile Internet Protocol (IP) phones with a Wi-Fi LAN function on the market.When thos e IP phones are used with wireless-LAN (WLAN) switches that are required to centralize management of lots of wireless access points, it is easy to create a wireless extension telephone system.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/23/2004
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Fujitsu Access Limited and Metalink Partner to Provide 100 Mbps VDSLPlus(TM) Products
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 |
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Summary
Metalink Ltd., a global provider and developer of high performance wireline and wireless broadband communication silicon solutions and Fujitsu Access Limited, today announced that the companies have partnered to develop the fastest DSL platform incorporating Metalink’s VDSLPlus 4th generation chipset for the Japanese broadband market. (Metalink) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/2/2004
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Softbank borrows 124.1 bil. yen from Citibank for broadband business
Tuesday, March 02, 2004 |
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Summary
Softbank Corp. said Tuesday it took out a 124.1 billion yen ($1,135 million) loan from Citibank N.A. through a U.S. subsidiary to finance its broadband Internet connection operations, the company said. The Internet service operator said it arranged for the subsidiary, Softbank Broadband Investments, to take out the loan. Softbank Broadband Investments is owned 98% by Softbank America Inc., another U.S. subsidiary based in Delaware.
(Kyodo News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 2/27/2004
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Japan’s ADSL Specs for 12M/24Mbps to be Recommended as International Standards
Friday, February 27, 2004 |
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Summary
Japan’s specifications for asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology at speeds of 12Mbps and 24Mbps will likely be recommended as international standards in April. The DSL Working Group of the Telecommunication Technology Committee (TCC), which establishes communication standards in Japan, decided on Feb 18 to submit Japan’s ADSL specifications to the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). This action is targeting the April meeting of the ITU-T Study Group 15 (SIG15), which is slated to discuss DSL specifications.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 2/20/2004
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Japan’s DSL Subscribers Exceed 10.6 Million in January
Friday, February 20, 2004 |
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Summary
The number of subscribers of xDSL services in Japan reached 10,612,671 at the end of January, up 34,0619 from the figure recorded in December 2003, when it surpassed 10 million, according to the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications. The ministry released the primary report on Feb 13. Although the monthly gain was slightly lower than the previous month’s 360,000, the subscribers still kept growing around 350,000 per month. By service provider, Softbank BB Corp’s "Yahoo! BB" has gained 122,000 since the end of December 2003 to 3,817,000. It has a market share of 36%, the same figure the company had in December.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 2/7/2004
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NTT-BP Expects Higher Growth in Public Wireless LAN, President Says
Saturday, February 07, 2004 |
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Summary
NTT BroadbandPlatform Inc (NTT-BP) is a subsidiary of NTT East Corp that offers a "Wireless LAN Club," a public wireless LAN service offered at station yards of private railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This year, NTT-BP will add some new services, including a pilot IP telephone system service. Despite improvements in infrastructures, the number of subscribers to public wireless LAN service sees sluggish growth. Nikkei Communications asked President Tadao Kobayashi about the outlook for 2004.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/23/2004
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Sony Unveils New Airboard Model LCD TV
Friday, January 23, 2004 |
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Summary
Sony Corp unveiled the newest Airboard model "LF-X1," an LCD television set with network communication capability featuring what it described as a "location-free" concept with Ethernet connection and MPEG-4 codec functions. The older generations of the series enable watching television anywhere in a house by wireless LAN capability, but LF-X1 lets its owners watch television even on trips away from home. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/20/2004
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Tokyo Electron Enters WLAN Market
Tuesday, January 20, 2004 |
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Summary
Tokyo Electron Ltd (TEL) announced that it will advance into the wireless LAN (WLAN) market. It started to offer products, "AirServer," "AirSwitch," and "AirHub," made by US AirFlow Networks Inc. TEL seeks to strengthen the networking- and security-solution businesses the company has been focusing on.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/5/2004
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Broadband Overtakes Dial-Up Internet Access in Japan: Survey
Monday, January 05, 2004 |
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Summary
More Japanese are using high-speed Internet access services amid a growing divide among different age groups and locations, according to a survey by the Ministry of Telecommunications. People accessing the Internet via ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) accounted for 41.7% of the sample in September. Dial-up access followed at 35%. Only 4% accessed the Net via fiber-optic lines.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/3/2004
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27% of major Japanese firms using IP phone networks
Saturday, January 03, 2004 |
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Summary
More than a quarter of 110 major companies in Japan have introduced low-cost Internet-based IP telephones and half are planning to do so, according to a Kyodo News survey released Saturday. IP telephony, which is spreading in Japan with the growth of broadband communications, enables companies to cut operating costs. Hitachi Ltd. told Kyodo its annual calling expenses have dropped to 500 million yen from 1.71 billion yen. According to the survey, 30 companies, or 27%, said they have introduced IP phones in some areas of their business, and 55, or 50%, said they are planning or will soon introduce IP networks. Only 13 companies, or 12%, said they do not intend to introduce them, according to the survey conducted between late November and mid-December.
(Kyodo News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 12/27/2003
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Panasonic to Launch IP Phone Solution Using Mobile VoIP Handsets as Internal Phones
Saturday, December 27, 2003 |
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Summary
Panasonic Communications Co, Ltd has announced that it will launch an IP mobile phone with a wireless LAN function as early as 2004. Executive vice president Mikio Mizutani made such a statement on December 17 when he announced the company’s strategy for the IP-related business. Panasonic Communications is a subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Ltd, and it develops and sells fixed-communications-related equipment.
(NE Asia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/26/2003
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Hitachi to Launch New Location Detection System Using Wireless LAN
Wednesday, November 26, 2003 |
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Summary
Hitachi Ltd and Hitachi Cable Ltd announced they would jointly launch a new location detection system called "Hitachi AirLocation." The new system uses the IEEE802.11b-based wireless LAN. It works both indoors and outdoors, and has a small error range of 1-3 meters, compared with the global positioning system (GPS), which can be used outdoors alone and has an error range of about 10 meters. The system consists of a location detection server, a management server, more than five dedicated base stations, wireless LAN devices, and software designed for the system. Hitachi was in charge of developing the software, and Hitachi Cable, the dedicated base stations.
(NE Asia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/24/2003
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Enterprise WLAN Business Booming
Monday, November 24, 2003 |
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Summary
Just released market data suggests the WLAN hardware sector is enjoying buoyant growth, and that even the nascent WLAN switch market is beginning to expand rapidly. The strongest growth will come from Asia Pacific. “There has been a considerable amount of enterprise WLAN uptake in recent months in Japan and South Korea and the PWLAN market is also very advanced. Perhaps notably, price pressures in Asia Pacific have been high and consequently WLAN equipment is actually relatively better value for enterprise IT managers in comparison to their counterparts" in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the report stated. North America accounts for 52 percent of WLAN hardware revenue, Europe, the Middle East and Africa for 25 percent, Asia Pacific for 19 percent and other regions about 4 percent.
(TechWeb) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/19/2003
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Full speed ahead for Japan’s broadband
Wednesday, November 19, 2003 |
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Summary
This summer, Yahoo BB signed up its three millionth customer for services running at eight and 12Mbps. This success was almost entirely down to the aggressive marketing masterminded by parent company Softbank’s CEO Masayoshi Son. For the last year, it has been nigh on impossible to take a stroll in the capital without being asked, "Yahoo BB wa ikaga desu ka? (How about Yahoo BB?)," by one of Mr Son’s army of street salespeople ready to sign you up and send you on your way with an ADSL modem in a bag. The Japanese package includes modem rental, the service provider fee, and a subscription to the company’s IP (Internet Protocol) phone service, BBPhone, offering dirt-cheap phone calls. For an extra 1,000 yen, there is a wireless LAN pack available. On top of all that, the whole caboodle is free for the first three months.
(BBC) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/12/2003
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Buffalo Provides Module, Firmware for Home WLAN Products to Consumer Electronics Companies
Wednesday, November 12, 2003 |
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Summary
Buffalo Inc (formerly Melco Inc) of Nagoya Japan, one of the major PC peripheral device companies, held a press conference in Tokyo to announce its new strategy for home wireless LAN systems.The company is dominant in the home WLAN products mark et of Japan. According to the company, its share of the market is more than 60%, and it has shipped a total of 3 million WLAN products, such as IEEE 802.11 a/b/g access points and terminals in Japan.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/3/2003
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Japan’s NTT Com joins Wireless Broadband Alliance
Monday, November 03, 2003 |
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Summary
Info-comms provider StarHub on Friday announced that NTT Communications, Japan’s major wireless broadband operator, has joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance, the largest alliance of wireless operators in the world. According to StarHub, the move is to help establish consistent wireless broadband service standards worldwide. "With NTT Com’s participation, Singapore wireless broadband users can expect to access 600 public wireless hotspots throughout Japan in the near future," said Mr Kyong Yu, Senior Vice President for StarHub Interactive and Chairman of the Alliance. NTT Com expects to expand its wireless broadband network to cover 13 major cities - each city encompassing a population of over one million - by the end of fiscal year 2003. With the inclusion of NTT Com, the Alliance boasts a customer reach of 42 million mobile customers, and 7.5 million fixed broadband customers.
(Channel News Asia) |
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Users of Softbank’s low-cost phones may call mobiles
Monday, November 03, 2003 |
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Summary
The Softbank Corp. group will link its largest low-cost Internet protocol (IP) telephony service in Japan, called BB Phone, with those of four major mobile phone operators in Japan, with the aim of starting the mutual link in January, industry sources said. The four are NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp., Vodafone K.K. and the Tuka group. Currently, a BB Phone user can call mobile phones using a regular landline phone hooked to a dedicated modem, but only via a foreign telecommunications carrier, which raises phone charges. Under the planned arrangement, the foreign carrier is expected to be bypassed, a step allowing Softbank to cut charges from BB Phone services to mobile phones. BB Phone’s call charges to mobile phones currently run 25 yen per minute between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. and 20 yen per minute at other hours. This compares with calls to a landline phone, which run 7.5 yen per minute to anywhere in Japan.
(Kyodo News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/27/2003
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Wi-Fi, satellite break into cells
Monday, October 27, 2003 |
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Summary
A few mobile operators are looking to mobile broadcast satellites to augment their cellular networks for delivering TV and music programs to handsets. South Korea’s SK Telecom is unable on its own to deliver the cost its subscribers expect in streaming video to mobile-phone users, acknowledged chief technology officer Myung-sung Lee. Thus, it has teamed with Toshiba Corp., co-founder of Japan’s Mobile Broadcasting Co. consortium and architect of the mobile satellite system MBC is promoting. MBC will share the satellite infrastructure cost with SK Telecom, and both entities will independently field subscription-based mobile TV and audio services built on the technology starting next spring. (EETimes) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/24/2003
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Avaya to Bring IP Wireless Phones to Japan
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 |
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Summary
Avaya Inc, a US maker of telecommunications equipment, will begin marketing an IP (Internet Protocol) wireless telephone system in Japan through its local arm in November. With this system, companies can use their wireless LANs (local area networks) and Avaya’s special hand-held terminals to build wireless IP telephony networks in factories, business offices and other such limited areas. The hand-held devices are around the same size as regular cellular phones, and up to six people can hold a shared conversation using them.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/12/2003
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Wireless Access points in Japan to double by December
Friday, September 12, 2003 |
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Summary
Intel Corp, the world's biggest computer-chip maker, expects the number of cafes, airports and other areas where consumers can get wireless access to the Internet in Japan to double by December. The number of so-called hotspots will double to 7,000 by the end of the year from about 3,500, Greg Pearson, co-president of Intelfs Japan business, said in an interview. Intel is spending US$300 million globally this year to promote its new Centrino chips that allows notebook users wireless access to the Internet. The company is betting that as users flip open their notebooks and sip their lattes while surfing the Web in cafes around Japan, demand will rise for mobile computers with wireless capabilities.
Intel expects that by 2005, 80 percent of notebooks sold will be able to access the Internet without having to plug into fixed access points. Demand for wireless access will help spur global notebook sales by 15 percent this year, said Pearson.
(Taipei Times) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/5/2003
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Aibo Gets a Face-Lift
Friday, September 05, 2003 |
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Summary
A Wireless LAN adapter is now built into Aibo as standard, allowing users to exchange data with the robot including image data from its image sensors mounted as eyes. The sensors are 300,000 pixel models, which are capable of producing a VGA resolution image, and are higher resolution than the previous robot, Sony said. Aibo has also been programmed with the ability to automatically search out its battery-recharging station when power levels get low. (PCWorld) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/21/2003
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Wireless Focus: UWB, 802.11a Interplay for Home Network Video
Thursday, August 21, 2003 |
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Summary
The race to send high quality video over wireless home networks is heating up. Since the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the commercial use of ultra wideband (UWB) technology in February 2002, the challenge of standardizing and implementing the technology has largely been shouldered by industry. The 802.15.3a Task Group is currently discussing a high-speed alternative physical layer standard for applications that involve imaging and multimedia. Its eventual decision will lead the way towards a global UWB standard. The evolution of UWB has paralleled a shakeup in the 802.11a chipset industry, and the future of home network video transmission hinges on future developments. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/19/2003
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Yamaha Debuts Wireless Music Network System
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 |
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Summary
Yamaha Corp recently announced that it would release in late October three AV products based on a system it calls "MusicCast," which distributes music inside a house via a wireless LAN. The system consists of a digital audio server, the "MCX-1000," which stores and distributes music data; a digital audio terminal, the "MCX-A10," which is client equipment housing a digital power amplifier; and a speaker system, the "MCX-SP10," as an option for the MCX-A10.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/14/2003
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IP Mobile Phone for Business Use to Be Released Soon: IP Talk Exec. VP
Thursday, August 14, 2003 |
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Summary
IP Talk Corp is a telecom carrier under the wing of Mitsubishi Electric Corp and it provides an Internet phone service called "IP Talk." After developing a prototype of a voice over IP (VoIP) mobile phone using wireless LAN in 2002, the company unveiled a plan to start a "wireless IP phone service," which enables use of IP Talk on the street via wireless LAN access services, within 2003. Nikkei Communications asked the company’s Executive Vice President Tuyoshi Uesugi about the handset development and prospects for the service launch.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/13/2003
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Sony to Debut IEEE802.3af-Compliant Network Camera in October 2003
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 |
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Summary
Sony Corp said it will debut an IEEE802.3af-compliant network camera in October 2003. Sony says the SNC-Z20N network camera will be the first IEEE802.3af-compliant network camera on the market. The new camera will sell for about 165,000 yen, a price similar to the company’s existing camera. The SNC-Z20N camera features a PC-MCIA card slot that can be used for a wireless LAN card. In the wireless LAN environment, the camera will require a separate power source, as there is no Ethernet cable connected to the product. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/6/2003
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Japan’s Broadband Users Reach 10.9 Million as of June, Ministry Says
Wednesday, August 06, 2003 |
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Summary
The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications released a primary report on the number of broadband Internet users in Japan.
The total number of broadband lines as of the end of June 2003 was 10,939,411, and the monthly growth since the end of May 2003 was 450,638. The growth for June decelerated compared with the previous month’s growth (520,000 for May). This is due to the slowing of growth of digital subscriber lines (xDSL) subscribers. The total number of subscribers to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services was 458,293, for an increase of 59,957 compared with the end of May. Also, that exceeded the 51,400 for April. As for cable TV Internet users, the number of subscribers increased by 41,000 to 2,224,000, compared with the number recorded at the end of May.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/4/2003
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NTT ISP unit to launch broadband-based broadcasts
Monday, August 04, 2003 |
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Summary
A unit of Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) said on Monday it is launching a broadcast service with two other firms through NTT’s broadband network, heating up competition in the nascent market. The Internet service provider (ISP) units of NTT, Fujitsu Ltd and NEC Corp said the new service, which will include "video on demand" as well as multi-channel TV broadcasts, will start trials this week to a limited number of subscribers, with commercial operations to begin in the winter. Also, KDDI Corp, Japan’s second-largest telecoms operator, in May unveiled plans to launch a packaged service that includes Web access, broadcasting and cut-rate Internet Protocol (IP) phones -- all on an optic fibre network -- by the year-end.
(Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/31/2003
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Sony to equip mobile video game handset with wireless LAN
Thursday, July 31, 2003 |
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Summary
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will equip its planned mobile video game handset, the PSP, with a wireless local area network (LAN) mechanism to enable users to play video games from locations far apart and online, SCE officials said Tuesday. SCE, a Sony Corp. arm, plans to put the gadget capable of high-speed data exchange on the market in the October-December period of 2004, the officials said.
(Kyodo News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/25/2003
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NTT Unveils Tech to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Wireless LAN
Friday, July 25, 2003 |
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Summary
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp has developed technology that it claims prevents unauthorized access to data exchanged over a wireless local area network (LAN), company sources said. The technology features a special PC card to be used in conjunction with a notebook computer and requires no complex programming. The PC card has built-in software that blocks unauthorized access to data transmitted over a wireless LAN. The software has been embedded in the card and automatically adjusts its settings to suit the environment in which the wireless LAN user operates. The telecom giant intends to offer the new technology as part of its M-Flet’s wireless LAN service.
(NEAsia Online) |
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Canada’s ViXS Systems Demonstrates Simultaneous Transmission through Two Channels of HDTV on Wireles
Friday, July 25, 2003 |
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Summary
The Canadian venture company ViXS Systems Inc, which develops imaging LSIs, demonstrated transmission of two HDTV videos on a 5GHz wireless LAN system at the Expo Comm Wireless Japan. The underlying technology consists of its "XCode" video control LSI and a "Matrix" baseband LSI conforming to the IEEE802.11a specification. "This is the world’s first presentation of two channels of HDTV videos based on an IEEE802.11a wireless network," the company said.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/16/2003
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Matsushita’s Antenna Handles All 3 Wireless LAN Formats
Wednesday, July 16, 2003 |
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Summary
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd has developed an antenna for wireless LAN (local area network) hot spots that can handle all three of the existing wireless networking standards. Wireless LAN hot spots are public places where users of notebook computers can access the Internet if their computers are equipped with wireless communications capabilities. As of the end of May, there were about 2,000 such hot spots in service in Japan. However, there are presently three different standards for wireless networking, each using a different frequency and transmitting signals at a different speed. If the user’s computer employs a wireless standard that is different from the standard used at the hot spot, the local network is inaccessible. Currently, if a wireless LAN hot spot is to accommodate all users, it must be equipped with three antennas -- one for each wireless standard.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/15/2003
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Matsushita’s Antenna Handles All 3 Wireless LAN Formats
Tuesday, July 15, 2003 |
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Summary
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd has developed an antenna for wireless LAN (local area network) hot spots that can handle all three of the existing wireless networking standards. Wireless LAN hot spots are public places where users of notebook computers can access the Internet if their computers are equipped with wireless communications capabilities. As of the end of May, there were about 2,000 such hot spots in service in Japan. However, there are presently three different standards for wireless networking, each using a different frequency and transmitting signals at a different speed. If the user’s computer employs a wireless standard that is different from the standard used at the hot spot, the local network is inaccessible. Currently, if a wireless LAN hot spot is to accommodate all users, it must be equipped with three antennas -- one for each wireless standard.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/2/2003
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Japan leaps to world No. 2 in broadband-survey
Wednesday, July 02, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan, once an Internet laggard, leapfrogged to No. 2 in the world in terms of broadband Internet connections in 2002, a research report showed on Tuesday, with competition bringing access fees down and spurring demand. Japan had 14.85 million broadband Internet home users at the end of 2002, second only to the United States, which had 18.5 million users, said Internet-publisher Impress Corp in its "Internet White Paper 2003." Japan was a slow starter in the Internet revolution of the 1990s due to high fixed-line charges and a lack of competition in its telecoms market, long ruled by the former state-owned monopoly Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) . But in the past year broadband use has taken off thanks to the success of Softbank Corp’s Yahoo BB ADSL (assymetric digital subscriber line) business.
(Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/1/2003
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IP Talk Corp to Market Wireless IP Mobile Phone in October
Tuesday, July 01, 2003 |
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Summary
IP Talk Corp of Japan, an affiliated telecom venture of Mitsubishi Electric Corp, will provide a voice-over-IP (VoIP) cell phone handset with wireless LAN capabilities. The company plans to launch the phone in October 2003. IP Talk already developed a prototype VoIP mobile phone that can be used with a Compact Flash card-type wireless LAN card in 2002. This time the company intends to actually market the handset. It features a built-in wireless LAN function complying with the IEEE802.11b standard. The handset can send/receive an e-mail or browse a website by itself.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/30/2003
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DoCoMo, NEC, Others To Set Wireless LAN Standards
Monday, June 30, 2003 |
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Summary
The Mobile Computing Promotion Consortium, an industrial group, hopes to create universal standards for wireless LAN connectivity by the end of 2004. The organization will address such issues as roaming rules that allow connections between LAN operators, equipment specifications that enable any operator to provide a stable connection, the need for a highly secure encryption system, and a function that automatically turns on a terminal when it enters a wireless LAN service area. A promotion committee within the consortium was established by 28 firms including Fujitsu Ltd, NEC Corp, Toshiba Corp, Hitachi Ltd, NTT DoCoMo Inc and KDDI Corp. Testing and data collection will begin within the year at connection points nationwide. (NEAsia Online) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Sell Dual-Mode Card for PHS/Wireless LAN
Monday, June 30, 2003 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo Inc said it will begin selling on July 4 the "P-in Free2PWL," a data communication card that supports both PHS and IEEE802.11b wireless LAN. The company claims it is the world’s first data communication card that can use these two wireless methods. Panasonic Mobile Communications Co, Ltd designed it. The card supports NTT DoCoMo’s fixed data communication service for PHS called "@FreeD." The maximum data transmission speed is 64kbps. It also is capable of dial-up access using PHS.
(NEAsia Online) |
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Broadband subscribers top 10 million in Japan
Monday, June 30, 2003 |
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Summary
Domestic Internet access service providers had a total of around 10.49 million subscribers at the end of May, about a 10-fold increase over two years earlier and accounting for 22.3% of all households in Japan, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications said in a preliminary report. The International Telecommunication Union therefore says Japan leads the world’s broadband market in terms of speed and low prices.
The number of broadband subscribers totaled 17.35 million in the United States as of the end of last December and 10.87 million in South Korea as of the end of March.
(Kyodo News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/26/2003
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Japan Telecom, JR East to Expand Wireless Internet Service at Train Stations
Thursday, June 26, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan Telecom, JR East have asked 20,000 people to take part in the wireless LAN service experiments conducted at major JR East stations in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area since February 2002. The free trial service has been provided to subscribers to 12 ISP services. Beginning June 19, they invited So-net users to participate in the experiments. Japan Telecom and JR East will also collaborate with JR Hokkaido to set up hotspots in Sapporo and Hakodate stations, beginning June 21 (JapanCorp.Net) |
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New NEC Home Router Supports Three Broadband Wireless LAN Standards
Thursday, June 26, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC and NEC Access Technica began marketing the WARPSTAR Delta Series AtermWR7600H on June 18. The WARPSTAR Delta Series is first home broadband router that has supported IEEE802.11a/g/b wireless LAN standards, the WR7600H delivers effective throughputs of about 90Mbps via a local router and approximately 80Mbps through PPPoE. Shipment is slated for early July. The company plans to sell 3,000 units per month. NEC plans to upgrade in the fall the home router by incorporating Super A/G, a high-speed technology developed by US chip developer Atheros Communications which supplies the wireless LAN chip for the router. The technology will help double effective wireless throughput.
(JapanCorp.Net) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/19/2003
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NTT surpasses Softbank in monthly broadband subscriptions
Monday, May 19, 2003 |
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Summary
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.’s (NTT) Flet’s ADSL broadband services had a net increase of 196,000 subscriptions in April, surpassing the figure at Softbank Corp. for the first time in nine months, according to government and industry data. The Softbank group’s Yahoo BB service had a net increase of 184,000, according to Softbank. In April, NTT East had a net increase of about 113,000 subscriptions, a record-high for the company on a monthly base. NTT West also posted a record-high of some 83,000 in net increase. Industry officials attributed the sharp increases in NTT subscribers to promotional campaigns launched in February waiving charges on new contracts for an initial period, following Softbank’s strategy. NTT’s services now have a total of 2.75 million subscribers, compared with 2.54 million for Softbank, according to government and industry data.
(Kyodo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/15/2003
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Is your wireless network airtight?
Thursday, May 15, 2003 |
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Summary
I’m sitting with my ThinkPad in a Starbucks near Akasaka. The cafe isn’t advertised as a WLAN hot spot, so I’m pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying high-speed Internet access courtesy of some nearby wireless network. Without really trying, I have tapped into a fully exposed wireless network serving two equally exposed Windows computers, and I’m just getting started. Next I make a note of the IP address that’s been assigned to my computer and guess at the IP address of the wireless access point. (Japan Times) |
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Japanese Govt to Reallocate Radio Frequencies to Promote Wireless LAN
Thursday, May 15, 2003 |
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Summary
In an effort to promote wireless local area network (LAN) and next-generation cellular phone services, the Telecommunications Ministry plans to ask such firms as the two regional arms of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp to hand back the radio frequencies allocated to them. The government will ask these firms to do so by the end of 2005 in the Tokyo and Osaka regions, where wireless LAN service is expected to be launched, even if the licensing periods for these frequencies have not run out yet. This will enable the government to reallocate these frequencies to providers of wireless LAN and next-generation cell phone services. The measure is expected to help boost the number of wireless LAN users by 1 million.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/12/2003
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Softbank Reports $852M Loss for Year
Monday, May 12, 2003 |
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Summary
Softbank lost 99.99 billion yen ($852 million) in the year ended March 31, versus a loss of 88.8 billion yen a year earlier, the Tokyo-based company said Friday. Sales inched up 0.5 percent to 406.9 billion yen ($3.5 billion) from 405 billion yen. Among other things, Softbank co-owns Yahoo! Japan with Yahoo! of the United States. Its broadband service offers high-speed voice transmissions over Internet phone and wireless local area network links. The service called "Yahoo! Broadband" leads market share with 2.55 million Internet users. (StarNewsOnline) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/9/2003
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Japan’s Broadband The World’s Fastest, Cheapest: ITU
Friday, May 09, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan offers the fastest, most inexpensive broadband communications services in the world, according to a survey by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an United Nations organization that coordinates telecom policy. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/7/2003
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Cisco Systems to unveil wireless IP phone shortly
Wednesday, May 07, 2003 |
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Summary
Cisco Systems Inc. of the United States will unwrap before this summer an advanced version of its IP mobile phone enabling users to converse with their friends via the Internet for free or at ultra-bargain rates, Cisco’s Japan arm said Tuesday. In a related development, IP Talk Corp., an affiliate of Mitsubishi Electric Corp., has said it plans to start marketing its own IP mobile phone handset this fall. The firm’s handset is expected to enable users to converse with fixed-line phones across Japan at the rate of 8 yen per 3 minutes in addition to enabling users to converse with fellow users of the firm’s IP mobile phones and fixed-line IP phones for free, it added.
(Kyodo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/5/2003
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Japan's Wireless broadband market to grow to 92 tril. yen in 10 years
Monday, May 05, 2003 |
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Summary
The market for wireless broadband communications services in Japan is projected to reach 92 trillion yen in a decade, according to recent estimates by an advisory panel to the telecom minister made available Sunday. The overall market value for wireless communications services including production of communications hardware is projected to hit some 233 trillion yen in 2013, of which 40% is estimated to be revenue from communications services. (Kyodo) |
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Japan Goes High Speed: A Tenfold Increase in Connections
Monday, May 05, 2003 |
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Summary
While South Korea has rightfully been called a broadband paradise, Japan is fast turning into one. In just two years, the number of broadband, or high-speed, Internet connections has grown tenfold, to more than 10 million. The market was cracked open by small providers who pressured the local phone giant, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, a unit of the NTT Group, to enter the fray. Having watched Korea vault past Japan, Japanese policy makers also assembled a national broadband strategy with initial targets that now look far too conservative. More than a quarter of all homes with Internet connections in Japan now use broadband, a rate topped only by Korea and Canada. Broadband should reach about half of all homes by 2007, according to forecasts by Gartner Japan. Moreover, fiber optic lines, which run at speeds 10 times faster than D.S.L., are expected to gain market share as the price falls.
(NY Times) |
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Japan broadband hits 20pc; Taiwan heads for 40pc
Monday, May 05, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan’s Internet access providers had a combined 9,397,426 broadband subscribers as of the end of March, more than double the 3,861,195 figure of a year ago, the telecom ministry said Wednesday in a preliminary report. The figures give the country a near 20 per cent broadband penetration, according to DigiTimes
(New Zealand Business Review) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/1/2003
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Japan’s broadband contracts more than double in FY 2002
Thursday, May 01, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan’s Internet access providers had a combined 9,397,426 broadband subscribers as of the end of March, more than double the 3,861,195 figure of a year ago, the telecom ministry said Wednesday in a preliminary report. Most of the high-speed access contracts were for the asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) service, which came to 7.02 million, up from 2.38 million a year earlier. These were followed by Net access via cable television at 2.07 million, compared with 1.46 million a year before, and the so-called fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service, or Net access via fiber optics, at 305,387, up from 26,400.
(Kyodo) |
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New Wi-Fi accessibility unleashes the Internet
Thursday, May 01, 2003 |
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Summary
Last year, some of the most affordable broadband rates in the world enticed 4.1 million Japanese to sign up for DSL services. This year, thanks to higher connection speeds and lower subscriber fees, domestic consumers are expected to flock to wireless Internet access. One of the key technologies behind the "unwired" Internet -- PHS data communications -- has actually been around for some time. But high per-minute connection rates and low speed failed to win over the wider Japanese market, for whom wireless Internet access was more of a convenience than a necessity.
(Japan Times) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/18/2003
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Japan Telecom to launch mobile-WLAN test
Friday, April 18, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan Telecom and East Japan Railway are going to launch a demonstration experiment for high-speed wireless local area network (WLAN) service via mobile phones in mid-May, the firms jointly announced. Participants of the experiment can get access to the Internet once they are given a one-day identification and password via their mobile handsets from J-Phone. Starting in mid-May, J-Phone users can use the WLAN service at these stations through their mobile handsets.
(Global Wireless News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/17/2003
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Govt to Scrap Licensing Requirement for Wireless LANs
Thursday, April 17, 2003 |
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Summary
In a bid to increase wireless LAN (local area network) services, the government has decided to eliminate the need for service providers to obtain a license to set up a base station, requiring them to just register it instead. By doing so, the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry hopes to make it easier to set up wireless LANs and thereby spread the use of the technology. In addition, it aims to expand the areas serviced by wireless LAN base stations.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/8/2003
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NTT ISP unit to launch broadband-based broadcasts
Tuesday, April 08, 2003 |
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Summary
A unit of Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) said on Monday it is launching a broadcast service with two other firms through NTT’s broadband network, heating up competition in the nascent market. The Internet service provider (ISP) units of NTT, Fujitsu Ltd and NEC Corp said the new service, which will include "video on demand" as well as multi-channel TV broadcasts, will start trials this week to a limited number of subscribers, with commercial operations to begin in the winter. Also, KDDI Corp, Japan’s second-largest telecoms operator, in May unveiled plans to launch a packaged service that includes Web access, broadcasting and cut-rate Internet Protocol (IP) phones -- all on an optic fibre network -- by the year-end.
(Reuters) |
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NTT ISP unit to launch broadband-based broadcasts
Tuesday, April 08, 2003 |
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Summary
A unit of Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) said on Monday it is launching a broadcast service with two other firms through NTT’s broadband network, heating up competition in the nascent market. The Internet service provider (ISP) units of NTT, Fujitsu Ltd and NEC Corp said the new service, which will include "video on demand" as well as multi-channel TV broadcasts, will start trials this week to a limited number of subscribers, with commercial operations to begin in the winter. The planned launch of the broadcasting service through ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) or optic fibre networks follows a similar operation by Softbank Corp, the largest ADSL operator in Japan.
(Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/4/2003
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Japan’s Broadband Users Climb to 8.8 Million: Gov’t Report
Friday, April 04, 2003 |
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Summary
As at the end of February, the total number of Japan’s broadband users reached 8,881,011, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications said in a report it published on March 31. That was an increase of 536,056 lines compared with the figure at the end of January. If it continues to increase at this rate, the number of domestic broadband lines is expected to exceed 10 million lines in May, the report said.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 4/1/2003
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Which Broadband Channel Will Prevail, ADSL or FTTH?
Tuesday, April 01, 2003 |
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Summary
In April 2002, the number of ADSL subscribers exceeded that of cable television (CATV) Internet users of 2.5 million, which had been the largest channel for accessing the Internet. The ADSL number has grown to more than 6 million as of February 2003. If this growth rate continues, the ADSL users will reach as many as 10 million in 2003. In contrast to the ADSL’s rapid prevalence, the number of the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) users has been showing a stagnant trend in spite of the fact that the FTTH technology has far better access circuit capabilities than ADSL in data rate, reach performance, upstream communication speed, and other factors. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/12/2003
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Intel/Wi-Fi:Says South Korea, Japan Lead Asia In Wi-Fi
Wednesday, March 12, 2003 |
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Summary
The venture capital arm of Intel Corp., the world’s largest chipmaker, has invested about 17% of a US$150 million fund aimed at promoting a wireless Internet technology dubbed Wi-Fi. An Intel representative said South Korea and Japan are leading Asia in the rollout of Wi-Fi technology. There are 16 companies in the Asia-Pacific region plan to use Intel’s Centrino chips in their notebook products, including China’s top computer maker, Legend Group Ltd., Taiwan’s Quanta Computer Inc., the world’s largest notebook maker, and Taiwan’s Acer Inc.
(Dow Jones) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/11/2003
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Mitsubishi Software Lets PCs Double as Wireless LAN Bases
Tuesday, March 11, 2003 |
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Summary
Mitsubishi Corp has developed software that offers a new type of wireless communications technology in which a personal computer or a mobile terminal doubles as a wireless LAN (local area network) base.The company is working with a technology subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG to make commercial application of the technology. Service employing the software might be launched in Europe as early as this year. The technology, dubbed Moteran, could make it possible to greatly reduce costs for wireless communications.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/7/2003
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Matsushita develops home wireless LAN chip
Friday, March 07, 2003 |
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Summary
Matsushita Electric Industrial announced Wednesday that it has developed a chipset for home audio-video equipment that will enable wireless transfer of video over the 5GHz band. Samples of the chip will be available later this month for about $85. The chipset is compliant with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ 802.11a and 802.11e standards, and consume less power than similar chips designed for the PC market. The chips can playback broadcast satellite, communications satellite, terrestrial digital broadcasts, broadband Internet and high-definition recordings. (CNET) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 3/6/2003
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Panasonic Develops First Chipset for 5GHz Wireless LAN Capable of Video
Thursday, March 06, 2003 |
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Summary
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for its Panasonic brand of digital electronics and communications products, today announced the development of a chipset consisting of a 5GHz wireless LAN signal processor designed for IEEE802.11a/e compliant wireless transfer of video images among home AV equipment, and high frequency radio chips featuring low power consumption, low distortion, and low noise. Samples of the new chipsets will be available from March 2003 at the price of 10,000 yen.
(JCN) |
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Telecom Infrastructure Firms to Lead Broadband Market
Thursday, March 06, 2003 |
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Summary
High-tech manufacturers, cellular phone-related businesses and realtors were among the most successful companies listed on stock markets for emerging firms in fiscal 2002. Companies that open new markets with their original technology and know-how will likely serve as the driving force for those markets in fiscal 2003 as well.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 2/27/2003
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Trial Service for Wireless LAN Start at Bullet Train Stops
Thursday, February 27, 2003 |
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Summary
Central Japan Railway Co and NTT-ME Corp announced that they will start a trial wireless LAN access service at six stations where the Shinkansen "Nozomi" (express bullet train) stops. This trial service will be provided from mid-April 2003 until the end of March 2004. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 2/9/2003
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NEC Group Installs IP Phone System Using Wireless LAN/PHS, in Osaka Hotel
Sunday, February 09, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corp and NEC System Integration & Construction Ltd announced Aug. 27 that they installed in the Hotel Nikko Osaka an IP phone system deploying a wireless LAN and PHS phones. Hotel employees can not only use the PHS phone as an extension phone within the hotel but can also check the cleaning conditions of guest rooms via a browser in real time. The system has been running since April 21, 2003.
(NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/20/2003
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Wider wireless LAN access expected
Monday, January 20, 2003 |
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Summary
The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications intends to increase the number of ``hot spots’’ to enter wireless local area networks (LANs), meaning more access to high-speed broadband networks without a hard-wired connection. Present law bars telecom operators from setting up relays on private property without the consent of the owner. Thus the ministry wants to amend the law to stipulate wireless LANs are ``telecom circuits,’’ covered by the consultation and mediation provisions. Doing so would permit installation of network relays at public places that would provide wider access to the Internet through wireless LANs. (IHT/Asahi) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/17/2003
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Wireless LANS gain speed in Asia
Friday, January 17, 2003 |
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Summary
Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have taken the streets of Asia by storm said market research firm Frost & Sullivan . According to its most recent Asia Pacific WLAN Market Report, the industry secured US$421.2mil (RM1.6bil) in revenue at the end of 2002. "It has already effectively served as an alternative to wired networks, as seen in countries like Japan which constitutes about 61% of today’s market," said Subha Rama, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The lure of this technology which is turning out to be a profitable business proposition is evident in South Korea alone planning more than 8,000 hotspots. (TechCentral) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/16/2003
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Japan DSL Users At 5.64 Million In 2002
Thursday, January 16, 2003 |
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Summary
The number of subscribers to digital subscriber-line, or DSL, services in Japan continued to rise sharply in 2002, reflecting relatively low charges and expanded services. The number of DSL subscribers in Japan increased to 5.64 million by the end of 2002, 3.7 times the number at the end of 2001Subscribers to the asymmetric digital subscriber line, or ADSL, services of Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.’s two regional units totaled a combined 2.14 million subscribers at the end of December, equal to roughly 38% of the market share. Subscribers to the Softbank Corp. group’s "Yahoo! BB" ADSL, broadband Internet service amounted to 1.69 million as of the end of December. (Dow Jones) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 1/8/2003
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Sumimoto gets 802.11b infrastructure from ReefEdge
Wednesday, January 08, 2003 |
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Summary
Sumitomo Corporation subsidiary SC ComTex, a specialist in networking technology has signed an exclusive sales and distribution agreement with ReefEdge, Inc., a wireless network infrastructure company. According to a recent survey conducted by Gartner Dataquest, the Japanese wireless LAN segment expanded 47 percent (shipment value) in 2001, with more than 1.2 million units (access points and wireless adapters combined) shipped. With 802.11b as the mainstream standard, Japan may be the most-advanced market for high-speed wireless LANs worldwide according to the report. (WirelessSoftware.info) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 12/20/2002
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NEC takes on the Tablet PC giants
Friday, December 20, 2002 |
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Summary
The appeal of the Tablet PC format is likely to be strengthened with the launch of a new NEC design early next year. Devices that offer handwriting recognition based on a superset version of Windows XP have appeared from several vendors, but the Japanese giant’s product is an impressive breakthrough in terms of thinness, weight and connectivity. (vnunet.co) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 12/16/2002
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Sotec, Melco Develop Home Networking System
Monday, December 16, 2002 |
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Summary
Sotec, in collaboration with Melco, has developed the "Play@TV" home multimedia networking system, which facilitates multimedia data communications between a PC and digital home appliances. The "Play@TV" allows users to watch video stored on a PC hard disk on either TV or VCR. It supports audio files in WMA and MP3, video files in MPEG, WMV, and DivX, and image files in JPEG, BMP, and TIFF, and can exchange data with the PC over a wire line or wirelessly. (JapanCorp.net) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 12/6/2002
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Broadband Subscribers Reach 6.6 Million in Japan
Friday, December 06, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan’s subscribers to broadband services reached 6.6 million as of the end of October 2002. According to the primary survey by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, the number of broadband Internet users in Japan reached 6,629,575 as of the end of October. This figure includes digital subscriber line (xDSL), cable Internet (CATV), and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services. The subscribers of CATV Internet services are 1,852,000. FTTH subscribers are 138,030. The ministry said the number of xDSL subscribers as of the end of October reached 4,639,545 in total. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 12/5/2002
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Japanese venture to launch mobile IP telephony experiment
Thursday, December 05, 2002 |
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Summary
Broadband Mobile Communications (BMC), a Tokyo-based venture company, announced it will launch an experiment for mobile Internet Protocol (IP) telephony service with five convenience stores in December. According to the firms, users of the service would be able to make calls from either cellular phone terminals or personal digital assistants (PDAs) via wireless local area network (WLAN) networks constructed at the convenience stores. BMC plans to launch the commercial service with a monthly fixed charge of 3,000 yen (US$24) in April 2003. The five convenience stores to participate in the test are Family Mart, Circle K, Thanks and Associates, Three F and Ministop. (Global Wireless News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/28/2002
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KDDI and ten other Japanese ISPs make phone service pact
Thursday, November 28, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan’s KDDI Corp and 10 other internet service providers (ISPs) said on Wednesday they would jointly offer a low-cost phone service based on Web technology next March, the latest in a wave of such alliances. The group, which also includes electronics conglomerate NEC Corp and Tokyo Telecommunications Network Co (TTNet), has 16.5 million ISP customers from which to attract potential users of the Internet Protocol (IP) service. That makes it one of the largest IP phone groups in Japan. KDDI is Japan’s second-largest telecoms company, while TTNet is a telecoms unit of Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc, the nation’s largest electric utility. Earlier in November, the ISP units of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, Sony Corp and Fujitsu Ltd said they would launch a commercial IP phone service in March. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/27/2002
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Japan Telecom,NEC, Others To Expand IP Phone Svc Alliance
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 |
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Summary
Spokespeople at Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co., NEC Corp., and Japan Telecom Holdings said that two already-existing Internet service alliances will form a consortium to provide Internet-protocol telephone services to a combined 17.4 million subscribers. One of the alliances is between Japan Telecom, NEC, KDDI Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., while the other has nine member firms, including TTNet and DoCoMo AOL Inc. The IP telephone technology could sharply cut into the firms’ existing revenues from traditional fixed-line phone services. "If you don’t have a big enough customer base, the IP phone business doesn’t really give users benefits," said Natsuki Ishihara, a spokeswoman at TTNet. (Dow Jones) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/26/2002
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NTT to spend Y500 bln on broadband
Tuesday, November 26, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp said on Monday it would spend up to 500 billion yen ($4 billion) to expand its optic-fibre network in a bid to offset dwindling revenues from conventional phone operations. "Phone revenues are expected to fall by one trillion yen in the next five years," NTT President Norio Wada told reporters. "We aim to cover 70 to 80 percent of those lost sales with the broadband business," he said. In the year to last March, NTT’s phone revenues totalled 4.7 trillion yen. (Reuters) |
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WLAN: NTT Com VP Doesn’t Expect ’Large Revenue’
Tuesday, November 26, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT Communications doesn’t expect to generate large revenue from WLAN itself, says senior executive vice president Shuji Tomita. Instead, the company will bundle hotspot access via high-speed WLAN base stations with landline connectivity and value-added services including roaming, security, and IPv6. They’re also busy boosting their 250-base-station network to 1,000. Phew! (Wireless Watch Japan) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/25/2002
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Japan’s Major ISPs to Launch New IP Phone Service
Monday, November 25, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT Communications Corp., Sony Communication Network Corp., and Nifty Corp. announced that they will jointly start a test VoIP communication service among the Internet connection services provided by the three companies. Those services are OCN of NTT Com, So-net of SCN, and @nifty of Nifty. The total number of subscribers to the three companies was approximately 11 million as of the end of September. About 1.3 million of them subscribe to broadband services, and they are potential users of the VoIP service, according to the companies. (NEAsia Online) |
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NTT to Invest Y300 Bln for New Broadband Service
Monday, November 25, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan’s telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Co (NTT) plans to invest nearly 300 billion yen ($2.4 billion) over the next five years to offer more reliabe service by building a new communications network for broadband infrastructure, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported. With a high quality service enabling user authentification, NTT hopes to encourage its group firms and others to build broadband infrastructure. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/22/2002
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Telchemy Measures Japanese VoIP Quality
Friday, November 22, 2002 |
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Summary
Artiza Networks of Japan will use Telchemy’s VQmon/SA for its next-gen voice and video over IP test and management products. Artiza has agreements with NTT-AT and NTT ME to cooperate on construction and testing of carrier-level VoIP systems. Macnica Networks represents Telchemy in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunication has recently specified call qualitymeasurement and reporting via the ITU standard "R-Factor". An R-Factor is an objective transmission quality rating that is based upon the degradation caused by jitter, delay, and packet loss. (Telecomdotcom) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/20/2002
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One in three Internet users in Japan link via broadband
Wednesday, November 20, 2002 |
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Summary
More than one in three Internet users in Japan use broadband transmission systems such as asymmetrical digital subscriber line services, according to a survey released Wednesday by Nomura Research Institute. The survey, conducted in September, found that 37.2 percent of people who surf the Internet from home use broadband, high-speed, large-capacity access. ADSL was the most popular, partly because of its low price, accounting for 22.1 percent of survey respondents. It was followed by Net access via cable at 13 percent and via fiber optics at 2.1 percent. (Japan Times) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/19/2002
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Unipulse to Develop 108Mbps Wireless LAN Using 2.4GHz Frequency Band
Tuesday, November 19, 2002 |
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Summary
Unipulse Inc., a maker of industrial testing equipment, said that it has developed a 108Mbps wireless LAN system using the 2.4GHz frequency band and called UNI-LINK2410. The company reportedly is the first in the world to implement the speed of 108Mbps on 2.4GHz wireless LAN technology. Unipulse will begin to receive orders on Dec. 10, 2002, and start shipments on or after February 2003. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/15/2002
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Sony unit, 2 others plan Japan IP phone service
Friday, November 15, 2002 |
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Summary
Three of Japan’s largest Internet service providers (ISPs), including a unit of Sony Corp, said on Thursday they will launch a low-cost Internet protocol (IP) phone service in Japan early next year. Sony Communication Network Corp, NTT Communications Corp, part of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT group, and Nifty Corp, a Fujitsu Ltd subsidiary and Japan’s biggest ISP, said they would launch a free trial service in January and a full commercial service in March. The IP phone alliance will have the ISPs’ combined 10 million subscribers as potential users, thrusting the three-way pact into the fledgling but rapidly growing market. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/11/2002
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Firms eyeing wireless LAN roaming service
Monday, November 11, 2002 |
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Summary
Some telecommunications firms are considering offering roaming service to enable users to roam across networks offered by other WLAN service providers. Despite the existence of over 1000 wireless LAN hotspots nationwide, most require service contracts with different local providers. For example, users of NTT East Corp.'s M Flet's ADSL service must equip their PCs with a device that identifies them as subscribers in individual service areas where base stations are located. Meanwhile, Mobile Internet Services Inc.'s (MIS) Genuine mobile Net access service uses its own security system format for access.
(Yomiuri Online) |
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Sharp Develops 5GHz Wireless LAN Power Amplifier
Monday, November 11, 2002 |
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Summary
Sharp announced that it has developed a 5GHz wireless LAN power amplifier with a power efficiency of 22%, the highest of any 5GHz power amplifier compliant with the 802.11a 54Mbps standard. The new device consumes only 360mW, 30% less than its predecessor. Sharp has improved amplifier performance by developing a new circuit design and device structure. Sharp states that its new power amplifier will significangtly contribute to the development of 5GHz wireless LAN equipment for mobile devices the size of Compact Flash cards. (Japan Corporate News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/7/2002
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Hitachi to Offer One-stop Wireless LAN Security Solution
Thursday, November 07, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 6, 2002. Hitachi announced today that its Information and Telecommunications Group will start providing Secureplaza/WLAN on November 6. Secureplaza/WLAN is a package of security solutions, including consultation, system operation and monitoring, for wireless LAN environments. Secureplaza/WLAN uses a 5GHz IEEE802.11a wireless LAN access point supporting a 54Mbps network to prevent the wireless LANfs radio waves from being intercepted for analysis. Users can specify either a 152bit, or a conventional 64-/128bit, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) key for each client. (Japan Corporate News) |
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Japan’s Broadband Users Surpass 6 Mln
Thursday, November 07, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 7, 2002. The number of broadband Internet users reached 6,138,000 at the end of September 2002, showing an increase of 365,000 in a month, according to the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry. As for the number of broadband circuits at the end of September, digital subscriber line (xDSL) accounted for 4,223,216, up 307,476 from the month, before while fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service had 114,608 users, indicating an increase by 15,204 compared with the month ago figure, and CATV Internet had 1,800,000 subscribers, increasing by 42,000 users in a month’s time. (NEAsia Online) |
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Yahoo! BB's 12Mbps ADSL Subscribers Reach 200,000
Thursday, November 07, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 7, 2002. Masayoshi Son, president of Softbank Corp., said the number of subscribers to 12Mbps asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) service, which was launched by Softbank subsidiary BB Technologies Corp. in August, has reached 200,000. Son added, "We have never received even a single complaint about the interference issue from among these 200,000 users." He stressed that he was right regarding the heated argument of the interference issue caused by ISDN and different ADSL communication technologies. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/6/2002
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Execs expect to adopt IP phones: poll
Wednesday, November 06, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 6. 2002. More than half of small businesses expect to adopt discount Internet Protocol phones in the near future, according to a survey released Tuesday by a developer of information technology equipment. Of the 551 executive officers of companies with 20 or fewer employees in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka directly interviewed for the survey, 54.2 percent said they expect their companies’ phone systems to shift to IP phones from conventional fixed-line telephones within three years, Forval Corp. said. Meanwhile, 33.2 percent said they will stick with the existing fixed-line system. (Japan Times) |
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Effective Speeds of Wireless LANs Slower than Listed
Wednesday, November 06, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 6, 2002. An increasing number of individual and corporate users are utilizing wireless LANs as networking equipment for LAN networks, and they may be surprised about the speeds of such networks. Specifically, many users might question the effectiveness of the speeds of wireless LAN communications, which are usually at 11 Mbps or 54 Mbps. Users should be aware that the effective speeds of wireless LAN communications are only about 40 percent of those actually listed in the catalogs. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/3/2002
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Sony, NTT may join free phone plan
Sunday, November 03, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 2, 2002. Sony Corp.’s So-net and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.’s OCN Internet service providers are considering joining a proposed Web phone regime under which subscribers to Internet Protocol phone services would be able to communicate with each other without charge, officials of the two firms said Friday. The creation of the regime has been under discussion among Internet service providers, including Biglobe, an arm of NEC Corp., and Dion, an arm of KDDI Corp. Nifty Corp., a subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd., also envisions joining the regime. The participation of So-net and OCN would lead to the establishment of a grand alliance of major Internet service providers offering IP phone services, thus helping bolster the number of IP phone subscribers, the officials said. (Japan Times) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 11/2/2002
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Narita Airport plans global-roaming service
Saturday, November 02, 2002 |
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Summary
Nov. 1, 2002. The Narita Airport Authority and iPass Inc., a California-based Internet roaming system developer, on Thursday announced a tie-up agreement that will offer high-speed wireless local-area-network Internet connectivity to airline passengers using Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture, from late November. The airport authority and iPass said Narita Airport will be the first Asian airport to install the U.S. company’s wireless LAN-based iPass Global Roaming Service. The ANN-iPass tie-up enables members of Internet service providers elsewhere in the world and employees of businesses that use the iPass remote access system to have secure access to information and applications on their respective corporate networks through the airport’s wireless LAN. (Yomiuri Shimbun) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/31/2002
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Softbank Expects Subscriber Base To Grow Rapidly
Thursday, October 31, 2002 |
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Summary
President Masayoshi Son said Wednesday that the number of subscribers to its broadband Internet access services is expected to grow more rapidly next month. Softbank said its market share for new monthly subscribers to its digital subscriber line, or DSL, broadband Internet services was 41.0% in September, compared with 33% for Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. The company said earlier that it has 1.01 million subscribers to its Yahoo! BB broadband ADSL service, which is part of its DSL services, at end September. It is the first ADSL service provider globally with more than a million subscribers. Its market share has risen from 34.7% in August and 29.7% in July, compared with the NTT group’s 35.3% and 41.8% respectively. Son attributes the growth to its expanding sales channel and additional services on top of its relatively low fees. (Dow Jones) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/28/2002
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NTT-ME Starts IP Phone Test Service with PDA, Wireless LAN
Monday, October 28, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT-ME Corp. started a test wireless IP telephone service using a personal digital assistant (PDA) on Oct. 23. The service is called "NeoMobile IP Telephone Trial," and is launched as a part of "NeoMobile" wireless LAN access test service that has been offered since August. The IP phone service enables phone calls with a PDA equipped with a voice-over-IP (VoIP) function within the service areas of NeoMobile. With the new service, a member PDA can make a call to or receive a call from other member PDAs, fixed phones registered for the service, and cell phones. In making a call to a member PDA by a registered phone or by a cell phone, a user is required to call to the dedicated access point and then follow the voice instructions in order to dial the IP phone number allocated to the PDA. (NEAsia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/25/2002
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NTT DoCoMo to Extend Wireless LAN Service to Haneda Airport
Friday, October 25, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. will extend its "Mzone" wireless LAN service area to include Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), beginning October 28, 2002. Launched in July 2002, Mzone service is currently available in 12 locations, including hotels and office buildings, throughout Tokyo and its vicinity. DoCoMo plans call for the continued expansion of the Mzone wireless LAN service area to some 100 spots within this year in the Tokyo region. (NTT DoCoMo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/24/2002
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Net Appliance Makers Have Another Go at Wooing Customers
Thursday, October 24, 2002 |
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Summary
Efforts to market Net home appliances are heating up again. Consumer electronics vendors in Japan have started working out strategies to get their products moving. Two emerging infrastructures will determine whether Net appliances succeed this time around: portal sites that make Net devices easier to use, and home networks that enable interlinking of Net devices. Behind the renewed efforts is the fact that Japanese vendors no longer have a price advantage, according to Toshiba, because of the cheap products arriving from China and elsewhere. It is also difficult now to provide stand-alone devices with any further functionality, a Hitachi spokesperson commented. By adding Net functions, Japanese vendors aim to differentiate their devices from others on the market in the hope that they will grow into mainstay products. (NE Asia Online) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Extend Wireless LAN Service to Haneda Airport
Thursday, October 24, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that it will extend its "Mzone" wireless LAN service area to include Tokyo nternational Airport (Haneda), beginning October 28, 2002. Launched in July 2002, Mzone service is currently available in 12 locations, including hotels and office buildings, throughout Tokyo and its vicinity. DoCoMo plans call for the continued expansion of the Mzone wireless LAN service area to some 100 spots within this year in the Tokyo region. At Haneda Airport, the service is available at the following locations. (JCN Newswire) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/23/2002
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NEC to offer IP phone service to ADSL users
Wednesday, October 23, 2002 |
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Summary
Japanese electronics giant NEC Corp will launch an Internet Protocol (IP) phone service for users of its high-speed Web access service, joining a wave of entrants in the nascent market. IP technology breaks down voice data into small packets, allowing several users to share the same line. Cheaper calls are the result. NEC, in cooperation with unlisted telecoms start-up Fusion Communications, plans to start a test service in December, with commercial operation scheduled to begin in February. NEC’s announcement comes a day after a unit of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, Japan’s top telecoms operator, said it would launch a commercial IP phone service for users of its wireless local area network (LAN) next spring. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/22/2002
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NTT unit to offer wireless IP phone service
Tuesday, October 22, 2002 |
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Summary
A unit of Japan’s largest telecoms operator said it would launch an Internet Protocol (IP) phone service for users of its wireless local area network (LAN), chipping at the dominance of cellphones in mobile voice traffic. NTT-ME Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT East Corp, itself a regional unit of top ranked Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT), said a trial service would begin on Wednesday, with commercial operation slated to begin next spring. It would be the first time in Japan that an IP phone service is offered on a wireless LAN, which allows users of laptop computers or handheld devices to access the Internet at faster speeds than conventional dial-up connections without having to connect cables. IP technology breaks down voice data into small packets, allowing several users to share one phone line. Cheaper calls are the result. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/11/2002
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Japan Takes the Lead in Integrating Voice, IP
Friday, October 11, 2002 |
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Summary
U.S.-based Avaya Inc., a communication device maker spun off from Lucent Technologies Inc. in September 2000, has competitive advantages in call centers and unified messaging systems within companies. In the prolonged economic recession, Avaya has been developing products with the keywords "IP convergence." Nikkei Communications discussed the strategy of Avaya with Mack Leathurby, the company’s director of solutions management. (NE Asia Online) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/10/2002
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Wireless and Fries
Thursday, October 10, 2002 |
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Summary
Are Softbank’s recent alliances with Mac Donald’s Japan, Mister Donut and Starbucks to provide high speed wireless LAN access an excisting new revenue stream for the food industry or economic indigestion waiting to strike? Hot spots are hot stuff -- at least to marketeers. Mobile computing online in this country used to mean a stop at an Internet cafe for a big gulp of wired access and roaming was something you did with your buddies on Friday nights in Roppongi. That’s all changing now. Yano Research Institute estimates that in fiscal 2001 domestic sales of wireless LAN base stations hit 417,500 units with sales of wireless LAN cards at 672,500. Contrast that with 1999 when a scant 25,000 LAN cards sold and only 15,000 base stations. (Japan Inc.) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 10/4/2002
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Sony Boosts Clié Handhelds
Friday, October 04, 2002 |
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Summary
One part sci-fi gadget and two parts fun, the new CLIÉ ™ NX-series handhelds from Sony Electronics are like something out of a space adventure movie. The CLIÉ PEG-NX70V and PEG-NX60 models continue to shatter the notion that handhelds are simply digital organizers. Powered by a 200MHz ARM-compliant processor and enhanced by the new Palm OS5 operating system, these new devices enable users to take photos and record video clips, record voice memos, and wirelessly browse the Internet on a Wi-Fi (802.11b) network with an optional Sony wireless LAN card—in addition to playing MP3 audio files and video games. (Unstrung) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/30/2002
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Japan Telecom wary on ’hotspot’ LAN service
Monday, September 30, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan Telecom Holdings Co Ltd, the nation’s third-largest telecoms firm, said it is ready to spend on "hotpot" public wireless network services, although the market is not ripe for investment yet. "Capex or people or everything, we are willing to roll out aggressively when the time is right," Ted Katagi, Japan Telecom’s managing director, told Reuters. But Katagi said the wireless local area network (LAN) market, where people can access the Internet from public places through their mobile devices, is still at the experimental stage, with security and profitability issues yet to be hammered out. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/27/2002
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Mitsubishi Electric Develops IP Cellphone
Friday, September 27, 2002 |
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Summary
On September 25, Mitsubishi Electric has developed an IP cellular phone. The new phone enables users of both fixed line and cellular IP phones that employ the company’s proprietary HCAP (HTTP-based Conference Application Protocol) to communicate with each other over the Internet. The cell phone features an IEEE802.11b-compliant wireless LAN card to support use in wireless LAN environments anywhere in the world. It employs the G.729 voice codec system that compresses voice signals to 8Kbps digital data to enable data communications via the PHS data card. Plans call for working with IP Talk, a joint venture between Miyoshi Electronics (87%) and Mitsubishi (13%), to commercialize the IP cellphone. (JCNCorp.net) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/24/2002
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KDDI to Perform Wireless Access Test Using 4.9GHz Radio
Tuesday, September 24, 2002 |
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Summary
KDDI Corp. and KDDI R&D Laboratories demonstrated on Sept. 18 wireless broadband transmission and communication using the 5GHz radio band. This demo, performed in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture, is the first trial in Japan of an outdoor transmission that employs the 5GHz radio band, which is expected to be released for wireless access services in September. The two firms obtained a license to operate a wireless access station that uses 4.9GHz - 5.0GHz radio (4.9GHz band) in Iwaki city on July 26, and have been performing various experiments since then. The demo on Sept. 18 included two experiments, normadic wireless access (NWA) and point-to-point wireless transmission of high-definition television (HDTV) video. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/19/2002
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SpeedNet Tests Public Wireless LAN at Convenience Stores
Thursday, September 19, 2002 |
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Summary
SpeedNet Inc. announced that it would experiment with public Wireless LANs on IEEE802.11b in the 2.4GHz band with a maximum transmission speed of 11Mbs. The experiment will be conducted at stores of "TEPCO de am/pm" in Shibuya and Nakayama. They will offer public Wireless LAN services free of charge during the trial. The two stores are pilot convenience stores developed jointly by Tokyo Electric Power Co., Ltd. and am/pm Japan. The experiment is a field test on public wireless LAN services readily available to everyone without prior sign-up for subscription. It will verify the system that allows a user to log in with a credit card or a scratch card he or she buys at the convenience store, and then obtain an ID and password for the services. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/17/2002
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Japan’s Solnet to Market Encryption System for Wireless Lans
Tuesday, September 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Kaga Electronics Co. subsidiary Kaga Solution Network Co., also known as Solnet, will market encryption systems to corporations for secure transmission of data over wireless LANs (local area networks). The systems, which make use of the proprietary Secure Wireless LAN encryption technology developed by C4 Technology Inc., consist of software that is installed on each LAN terminal and hardware that is attached between the LAN connection and the Internet line. A system for a LAN with several dozen terminals will be priced at 250,000 yen for the software and the hardware, excluding LAN connectors. Solnet aims to sell 200 units this year, targeting companies that feel the need to protect their wireless LAN communications from eavesdroppers. (Nikkei) |
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Casio to Put on Sale Digital Wireless LCD TVs
Tuesday, September 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Casio will introduce two LCD TV systems which employ a digital wireless transmission system that sends video images and sound from the tuner to the monitor. The XF-800, an 8-inch model selling for 160,000 yen ($1,333), is slated for release on September 21. The tuner digitally compresses TV broadcast signals as well as audio-visual signals from a VCR, a DVD player, and a satellite broadcast tuner in MPEG2 format, and transmits the digital signals to the monitor using the IEEE802.11b-compliant wireless data communications system. The remote is also waterproof, allowing users to watch TV even in a bathroom. Fully recharged, the monitor remains active for about two hours. Casio plans to manufacture 2,000 units each per month. (JapanCorp.net) |
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NTT Com W-CDMA Wireless Access Test, Covering 5km Radius
Tuesday, September 17, 2002 |
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Summary
A total of 100 consumers and companies are participating in a trial to monitor the wireless high-speed Internet access and a telephone service that NTT Com provides. The trial is notable in that it is not exclusively for a fixed wireless access (FWA) service, but also for a mobile phone service, which could be included in the list of the company's future wireless services. The experiment uses a wireless base station and wireless terminal for subscribers manufactured by SOMA Networks Inc. of the United States. The base station, built on the rooftop of an office building of NTT Com in Kanazawa, communicates with the wireless terminal installed at their homes or offices at a speed of up to 5Mbps. It covers an area within a radius of about 5km from the base station. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/10/2002
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60% of Japanese Consumers Will Pay for Wireless LAN Services
Tuesday, September 10, 2002 |
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Summary
According to a study of over 10,000 people owning portable notebook computer and personal digital assistants (PDAs), Japanese consumers are becoming aware of wireless LAN services but are looking for cost-effective ways to access them. The survey found 63% of all respondents familiar with the term "Wireless LAN," with 60% willing to pay for a high-speed wireless LAN package if priced below 2,000 yen per month (Approx. US$16). Even greater awareness and interest was found among business users, 96% of whom were familiar with WLAN. The WLAN market survey is part of a new study titled "The Japan Wireless LAN White Paper 2002 - 2003," produced by Tokyo-based research firm Mobile Media Japan. The consumer survey was conducted in collaboration with Japanese marketing firm Kikakuya, Inc. (Mobile Media Japan) |
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Wireless LANs Becoming Commonplace in Japan
Tuesday, September 10, 2002 |
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Summary
Whereas Internet cafes used to be one of the only ways for people to go online away from home, recently wireless local area networks have created "hot spots" in cities where people whose notebook computers or personal digital assistants have wireless LAN cards can access the Internet. Many businesses, particularly restaurants, are making use of this technology to lure customers. (Trends In Japan) |
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Magis’ AIR5 Wireless Video Chipset Receives Japan Approval
Tuesday, September 10, 2002 |
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Summary
Magis announced its Air5-based chipset has successfully completed certification testing at Japan’s Telecom Engineering Center, responsible for providing technical regulations conformity certification for wireless products distributed in Japan. Magis’ Air5 is the first 5 GHz wireless networking product capable of supporting high-definition television (HDTV) to receive approval from the Japanese agency. Magis develops chipsets that enable wireless communications of high-quality video, TCP/IP data, and audio throughout the home and office. With an Air5-based network, multiple streams of cable and satellite digital video and audio can be distributed wirelessly while maintaining their original quality. This same network supports TCP/IP data throughput at ten times the performance of 802.11b. (Asia Pulse) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 9/5/2002
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Speednet launches trial WLAN service, WLAN popular in Japan
Thursday, September 05, 2002 |
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Summary
SpeedNet, a telecom venture company in Japan, launched an experiment for its wireless local area network (WLAN) services using the 5 GHz band. The experiment will be carried out through the end of December using the 5.03 GHz to 5.091 GHz band based on IEEE 802.11a technology. SpeedNet has been providing WLAN service in the 2.4 GHz band for 19,000 users in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Japanese government last month announced it would open the 5 GHz band for wireless service operators. In related news, Gartner Japan, the Japanese business unit of Gartner Group, on said 44.5 percent of Japanese corporations have introduced wireless local area network (WLAN) services. (Global Wireless News) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/30/2002
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Yozan to Test Fixed-Rate Service for Data; PHS and WLAN
Friday, August 30, 2002 |
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Summary
This autumn, the company will begin offering a fixed-rate PHS service, IP telephone and wireless LAN access services. "We will offer a combo card having both PHS and wireless LAN capabilities, and a PHS handset with connectivity to the IP network. All these features will be used for a fixed-rate pricing scheme," President and CEO Sunao Takatori said. More specifically, the company will start to offer in October: (1) a fixed-fee PHS service plan for Tokyo Telephone Astel users, and (2) an overseas telephone service using a special PHS terminal. Also, Yozan will begin to sell "WebDistributor" at the same time, an Internet telephone adapter used by connecting to a broadband router or an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modem. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/28/2002
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Gric, Sanyo Team Up for Wireless LAN International Roaming Service
Wednesday, August 28, 2002 |
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Summary
Gric International Corp.’s Tokyo branch unveiled that its parent company Gric Communication Inc., a roaming service provider, has tied up with Sanyo Electric Co., on offering international roaming service that enables users to access wireless LANs overseas. It allows users to access the Internet from their notebook PCs or personal digital assistants (PDAs) capable of wireless LAN communications via base stations of overseas carriers. Gric has already offered roaming service at about 400 service areas through tie-ups with wireless LAN access service providers in the United States and Asia. It plans to offer roaming services through tie-ups with other domestic Internet access service providers. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 8/27/2002
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Softbank To Expand Wireless Links In Food Chains
Tuesday, August 27, 2002 |
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Summary
The Softbank Corp. group will increase the number of relay stations for wireless LANs (local area networks) to 3,000 by the end of March, company sources say, according to the Saturday morning edition of The Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Those stations would offer high-speed Internet access services at restaurants and other places outside the home and office. Following an alliance formed in May with McDonald’s Holdings Co. (Japan), Softbank linked up with Doutor Coffee Co. and Daiei Inc. subsidiary Orange Food Court to offer Internet access services at their outlets. (Nikkei) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/25/2002
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Japan Wants Wireless Web Access In Public Spaces
Thursday, July 25, 2002 |
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Summary
To promote the use of high-speed wireless Internet access, the government will require operators of public areas, such as railway operators and the Japan Highway Public Corp., to let communications firms set up antennas and other equipment at such locations as train stations, airports and parking areas, reported The Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The Posts and Telecommunications Ministry will draw up guidelines on the matter by year-end. (Nikkei) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/24/2002
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Needs Are High for Hotspot Service,’ Tully’s Coffee Japan
Wednesday, July 24, 2002 |
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Summary
Tully’s Coffee is offering trial hotspot service using wireless LAN connections at its shops in Akasaka and Tameike in Tokyo, as well as other locations. Kouta Matsuda, president of Tully’s Coffee Japan Ltd., noted "we are not sure how the hotspot service will lead to our revenue growth. But one thing we have noticed for sure is that there are far more customers who use PCs in a shop with hotspot service than in a shop without it." The coffee company is planning to continue the trial service several more months, and generally roll out the service, as it will increase hotspot shops. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/23/2002
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JRC Develops 54Mbps OFDM Device
Tuesday, July 23, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan Radio Co., Ltd. (JRC) showcased a device that enables wireless transmission at a maximum of 54Mbps in the 2.4GHz bandwidth at Wireless Japan 2002. The equipment uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) modulation, which can use many carriers effectively. Expected applications are suitable for one-to-one communication between centers located in separated buildings, with a distance of about 10km. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/22/2002
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NTT unit sees speedy profit from rail Net project
Monday, July 22, 2002 |
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Summary
Hand-held computers will be able to access the Internet via high-speed wireless cLAN at Tokyo train stations later this year. NTT will launch a trial wireless LAN service in August that would enable commuters to download news and entertainment content onto personal digital assistants (PDAs) at railway stations. The company expects the business to be profitable in three years. The commercial service to be priced in the range of 1,600 yen to 2,000 yen ($13.73 to $17.16) per month, taking into account the price of similar services offered by the NTT group. (Reuters) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/19/2002
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NTT-East Sets Up New Firm to Offer Wireless LAN Service
Friday, July 19, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT-East Corp. established a new firm called NTT Broadband Platform Inc. to provide wireless LAN services in and around stations and train lines. The new firm, will be running a trial of its service -- called "Wireless LAN Club" -- from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 in order to check that the business model will generate profits. On completion of the trial, said an NTT-BP spokesperson, the firm will launch full commercial service as soon as possible. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/17/2002
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KDDI to Conduct Trial of 5GHz Wireless Network
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 |
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Summary
KDDI Corp. and KDDI R&D Laboratories announced July 11 that they plan to start testing use of the 5GHz (4.91-4.99GHz) radio band for high-speed wireless Internet connections and transfer of high-definition TV (HDTV) video images. KDDI plans to use the trial to evaluate its technology and for data analysis, with the main aim of eventually offering three different outdoor wireless services -- fixed wireless access (FWA), nomadic wireless access (NWA), and mobile access. (AsiaBizTech) |
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NTT Corporation to offer fast Net access at train stops
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan’s biggest telecoms carrier will launch in August a trial service linking handheld computers to the Internet via high-speed wireless LAN connections at major Tokyo train stations. The local area network (LAN) service launched by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) would enable commuters to download news and entertainment content onto PDAs on the platform for use on the train. (Reuters) |
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KDDI Tries HDTV Over WLAN
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 |
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Summary
KDDI Corp. is experimenting with super-fast wireless LAN technologies that can deliver high-definition TV (HDTV) transmissions to PDAs and other mobile terminals. Having already dabbled with links between its live and trial CDMA networks and WLAN equipment, the mobile operator is doing a passable impression of a company desperate to find a business case for incorporating WLAN technology into its strategy, despite publicly remaining cool about its potential. (Unstrung) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/15/2002
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NEC Commences Shipping IEEE802.11a Wireless LAN Solutions
Monday, July 15, 2002 |
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Summary
NEC Networks has developed and begun shipping IEEE802.11a wireless LAN solutions, which consist of a 5GHz wireless LAN card and an access point. The card has a chip set the company has developed in collaboration with NTT Access Service Systems Laboratories. (JapanCorp.Net) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/9/2002
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Toshiba Debuts PDA with Built-In Wireless LAN for Corporates
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 |
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Summary
Toshiba Corp. unveiled the Pocket PC e740W, a PDA with a built-in wireless LAN module for corporate use. The PDA comes with a 400MHz Intel PXA250 CPU and the Pocket PC 2002 operating system. Although its price is open, the company estimates that the retail price will be about 75,000 yen. A package with expanded functions -- an RGB port and a USB port -- is available so that the PDA can be used for presentations, for example. (Asia Biztech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/8/2002
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Sanyo Debuts Digital Camera with Wireless LAN Capability
Monday, July 08, 2002 |
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Summary
Sanyo Electric has unveiled a digital camera compatible with IEEE802.11b wireless LAN specs. The device allows still photos and moving images taken by the camera to be automatically sent to the server on the IP network via the base station for wireless LAN access service. Unlike the existing digital cameras, which require use of a PC to transfer images, the wireless LAN camera enables one to send the photos directly to a personal Web site or to order photo development on the Internet directly from the camera. (Asia Biztech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/5/2002
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NEC, Alcatel Collaborate in Virtual LAN Business
Friday, July 05, 2002 |
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Summary
NEC Corp. and Alcatel Internetworking Inc. will collaborate for the business of virtual local area networks (LANs), which are based on the LAN switching function in intra-corporate networks. The two companies are to cooperate for technological and marketing activities. (AsiaBizTech) |
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Atheros First to Market Chipset for Outdoor 5GHz WirelessLAN
Friday, July 05, 2002 |
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Summary
Atheros Communications International will soon start selling a new chipset for use in devices that can access wireless LANs from outdoors using the 5GHz radio band to become the first chipmaker to offer chips for the 5GHz outdoor wireless band. The company said that shipments of the chipset will start as soon as Japan’s Radio Law legislation is revised. The new Atheros chipset -- AR5001J -- works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless LANs. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 7/4/2002
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VoIP Cell Phones Wait in the Wings
Thursday, July 04, 2002 |
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Summary
Wireless communications carriers and software vendors are beginning to go forward with mobile phone service that leverages voice over IP (VoIP) technology. The selling point is "unlimited calls at a fixed rate between subscribers of the service." It seems that the initial fixed rate service will utilize wireless LAN access. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/28/2002
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Sharp Develops Static-Shielding Elements for WLAN
Friday, June 28, 2002 |
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Summary
Sharp Corporation has developed static-shielding elements to be fitted inside high-frequency semiconductors. Semidonductors pick up static electricity when they are handled. Sharp plans to fit the new shielding elements in its wireless LAN high-frequency semiconductors. In addition, the company aims to commence external sales of the related design technologies within a year. (JapanCorp.net) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Start ’Mzone’ Wireless LAN Access Service
Friday, June 28, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo has been conducting a testing service of wireless LAN access around Tokyo since April 15, and it is now ready to provide the service on a commercial basis. NTT DoCoMo plans to provide this service mainly in those facilities where a large number of people gather such as convention centers, hotels, and dining facilities. It is not planning to provide a wide area service outdoors, as in the case of mobile phone service. The company is examining the possibility of fusion of the wireless LAN access and mobile phone services. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/20/2002
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NTT DoCoMo to Launch Wireless LAN Service
Thursday, June 20, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo will launch a wireless LAN service, dubbed "Mzone," from July 1, 2002. DoCoMo has been providing wireless LAN trial service to monitors since this April to analyze the technology and collect information on usage. Mzone service will initially be implemented in nine locations throughout Tokyo and its vicinity with plans for expansion. The service will cost 2,000 yen per month. (NTT DoCoMo) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/18/2002
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JR East Adds Wireless LAN Participants
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 |
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Summary
Japan Telecom Co., Ltd. and East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) have added more providers to their wireless LAN Internet access experiment at major railway stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including Tokyo Station. The Members of the BIGLOBE service of NEC Corp., the OCN service of NTT Communications Corp. and the ReSET.JP service of FreeBit.Com Co., Ltd. are now planning to participate in the trial connectivity test. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/17/2002
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PacketVideo Supports NTT DoCoMo WLAN Trial
Monday, June 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Packet Video will produce video content and aplications for PDAs from Japanese and North American partners to be used in NTT DoCoMo’s WLAN trials. The company is providing content that will be broadly divided into two areas: delivering local information to and video streaming. Applications will range from video mail to news updates. (Packet Video) |
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PacketVideo Supports NTT DoCoMo WLAN Trial
Monday, June 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Packet Video will produce video content and aplications for PDAs from Japanese and North American partners to be used in NTT DoCoMo’s WLAN trials. The company is providing content that will be broadly divided into two areas: delivering local information to and video streaming. Applications will range from video mail to news updates. (Packet Video) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 6/9/2002
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NTT Comm To Start Wireless Broadband Access Trial Sept
Sunday, June 09, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT Communications Corp. will offer a wireless broadband access trial service in the Kanazawa area of Ishikawa prefecture, central Japan, from early September this year to the end of August 2003. The trial service, dubbed "WINQ," will provide wireless data download speeds of up to 5.12 megabits per second and upload speeds of up to 319 Kbps via Soma Networks Inc.’s "SOMAport" network appliances. The trial will evaluate transmission quality, analyze wireless propagation characteristics and affirm the stability of connectivity with the Internet and subscriber phone lines, the company said. (Dow Jones) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/29/2002
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Burgers, pastry and surfing: Japan’s Wireless LAN
Wednesday, May 29, 2002 |
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Summary
In recent weeks, NTT Communications Corp., Japan Telecom Co., Softbank Corp. and others have announced plans to offer high-speed wireless Internet connections at McDonald’s, Mister Donuts and other fast-food chains in Tokyo. The new services are part of Japan’s latest move up the wireless food chain, a pattern echoed in Seoul, Hong Kong and elsewhere in urban Asia. Asia is home to some of the world’s most crowded cities and, with space and privacy at a premium, people are just as likely to spend time in a coffee shop as in their living room. (IHT) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/28/2002
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Skywave’s VoIP Software for PDAs Enables Free Phone Calls
Tuesday, May 28, 2002 |
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Summary
Skywave Inc., a venture company and a developer of VoIP-related software, has developed a VoIP software program that operates with Pocket PC 2002 released by Microsoft Corp. Supporting specifications are based on session initiation protocol (SIP). It will be launched in June or July of 2002. The company plans to build the program in public services utilizing wireless LAN. Negotiating firms includes MIS, NTT Communications Corp., the Softbank group, and Yozan Inc. Users are able to make phone calls for no air charges or almost free if they pay a fixed communication charge. This is an advantage for wireless LAN service providers to attract subscribers. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/27/2002
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KDDI, Others Succeed in Connecting 3G, Wireless LANs
Monday, May 27, 2002 |
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Summary
KDDI Corp., KDDI R&D Laboratories and Cisco Systems KK have succeeded in testing seamless data communications between different wireless communication technologies in a running car. IP data communication service continued seamlessly in a moving car equipped with IMT-2000 devices and a wireless LAN terminal connected to the in-car mobile router. KDDI says that the success of this type of experiment is the first achievement of its kind in the world. (AsiaBizTech) |
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NTT-ME’s Home Server Features Camera, Wireless LAN Functions
Monday, May 27, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT-ME Corp. has released a personal home server product, "LivingGate i," which supports IEEE802.11b wireless LAN access point and router functions, and thus can be used as a Web server. In addition to the IEEE802.11b wireless LAN access point function and router function, the product can be used as a Web server with a pre-installed Linux OS and the Web server software, "Apache," software and other software. (AsiaBizTech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/22/2002
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WLAN service starts at Japanese gas stations
Wednesday, May 22, 2002 |
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Summary
Sumisho Oil, in cooperation with @Venture, has launched Japan’s first wireless local area network (WLAN) service at gas stations. Drivers can receive 8 Megabits per second (Mbps) wireless LAN service at Sumisho Oil’s gas stations free when they bring their PCs with WLAN cards. It is planning to implement the service at all of its 300 gas stations. Using the networks, Sumisho is also planning to launch a service to evaluate used cars. (Global Wireless) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/21/2002
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Yahoo! BB Mobile to Trial Hot Spot Service at Mister Donut
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 |
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Summary
Softbank group and Duskin group will start trial service of "Yahoo! BB Mobile," the hotspot service offered by Softbank and "BB Phone," the IP telephone service, in the Mister Donut outlets run by the Duskin group. The trial service launches in some 20 outlets in Tokyo and nearby areas with an eye to extending it to other outlets nationwide. Softbank group aims to win customers through the partnership with Duskin, along with McDonald’s Co. (Japan) Ltd., with which a partnership has already been made. Using Yahoo! BB Mobile, 11Mbps Internet access is available, with a wireless LAN capable device via the wireless-LAN access points in a Mister Donut store. (Asia Biztech) |
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WIRELESS LAN News of 5/17/2002
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Wireless hotspots gain momentum in Japan
Friday, May 17, 2002 |
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Summary
Speedy broadband Internet access is winning subscribers hand over fist in Japan, mostly through ADSL and fiber services that are hard-wired to your house. Thanks to innovative experiments in the wireless broadband market, that’s all about to change radically, presenting the consumer with an even better range of options for that fast online fix. (Japan Inc) |
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Japan Mobile Penetration agest 5-9 to reach 64% in 2007 |
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Summary (Yahoo)
Under 10s and over 60s are expected push the Japanese mobile market up to 100 million subscribers in the next few years. According to the new Japan Mobile Market statistical handbook, future growth in the Japanese mobile market will be centred on the unde... |
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Japan’s KDDI profits rise on growing mobile business |
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Summary (AFP)
Japan’s number two telecoms operator KDDI said its net profit in the nine months to December picked up 2.5 percent year on year as a robust mobile phone business absorbed losses in its fixed-line business. KDDI posted net profit of 158.01 billion ye... |
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Vodafone Japan Mobile Phone Users Up Net 125,200 Oct-Dec |
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Summary (Dow Jones)
The Japanese unit of UK mobile phone firm Vodafone Group said Tuesday it added a net 125,200 subscribers to its mobile phone service in the October-December quarter.
Vodafone K.K. had about 15.1 million users as of the end of December, the company said.... |
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