Evolution of Mobile Services in Japan

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Updated: November 2011

Overview

Since Japanese mobile network operators introduced internet connection services for their subscribers (Mobile Phone IP services) through their mobile portal web sites in 1999, Japanese mobile phones have successfully stepped into "the mobile contents and commerce market" (e.g. NTT DOCOMO's "i-mode").

Japan launched the world's first commercial 3G service in 2001. Since then, the 3G mobile subscriptions in Japan increases steadily.

According to the data of the first quarter of 2010 from "The Netsize Guide 2010", Japan is the top country of the 3G WCDMA/EV-DO subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (Fig.1).

The significant increase in 3G mobile subscriptions has contributed the rise in the mobile contents and commerce market (Fig.2). Developing the various mobile applications, Japan has been one of the most advanced countries in the mobile broadband services. Now, wireless broadband communication systems are considered as an important social infrastructure.

The recent growth of mobile data services has brought the remarkable increase of data traffic in mobile phone. Japan has been promoting research and development for more advanced mobile communication systems, namely LTE (3.9G) and 4G. And LTE commercial service started at the end of 2010.

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Fig.1:: 3G WCDMA/EV-DO subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 1Q 2010
Source:: "The Netsize Guide 2010" Netsize S. A.

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Fig.2:: Mobile subscriptions and “Mobile Contents and Commerce Market” in Japan(2001-2010)
Source:: Press releases of the Telecommunications Carrier Association (TCA) and the Mobile Content Forum

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Evolution of mobile phone functions

In Japan, a variety of features, such as camera, mobile payments and One-Seg TV, etc., increased the charm of mobile phones in the recent decade (Fig.3). Adding the “broadband capability”, it accelerated the market growth in the mobile contents and commerce (Fig.4).

Note: “One-Seg TV” is a terrestrial digital TV broadcasting service for mobile terminals

Fig.3:: Evolution of Japanese mobile phone functions

Fig.4:: Growth of mobile contents and commerce market in Japan; Source: Press releases of Mobile Content Forum

LTE commercial services in Japan

In June 2009, license application for establishment of specified base stations for the 3.9-Generation mobile communications system were approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.

NTT DOCOMO started LTE commercial service at a maximum downlink speed of 75Mbps in December 2010. NTT DOCOMO plans to expand service coverage to over 98% of population at the end of March 2015. KDDI plans to start LTE commercial service in December 2012. KDDI plans to expand service coverage to over 96% of population at the end of March 2015. eAccess plans to start LTE commercial service in March 2012. eAccess plans to expand service coverage to 70% of population at the end of March 2013. SOFTBANK MOBILE plans to start LTE commercial service in March 2012. SOFTBANK MOBILE plans to expand service coverage to 92% of population at the end of March 2013.

Japanese network vendors such as Fujitsu, Hitachi, NEC and Panasonic Mobile Communications are currently supplying LTE equipments to the domestic market and they are also prepared to supply LTE equipments to global markets.

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