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Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>
W I R E L E S S W A T C H</p>
<p>READ WIRELESS WATCH ONLINE AT:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/" title="www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a></p>
<p>The Latest News From The Wireless Industry In Japan</p>
<p>Issue No. 171 Thursday February 28, 2008<br>
Subscribers: 9467<br>
SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE TO WIRELESS WATCH:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up" title="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a></p>
<p>Flat-Rate Wireless Broadband Services – Fierce Competition</p>
<p>Mobile carriers are fiercely competing for the wireless<br>
broadband customer. Incumbents NTT DoCoMo and KDDI offer<br>
flat-rate plans, like the new player EMobile. What are the<br>
experiences so far with these services – do you really get value<br>
for money and can you do without your DSL at home? </p>
<p>EMobile, a sister company of broadband provider EAccess, started<br>
wireless broadband services last March. The company has plans<br>
to build its own HSDPA-network using equipment from Ericsson and<br>
Huawei. Initially, service areas were limited to the Tokyo,<br>
Nagoya, and Osaka regions. As of end of January, the company<br>
signed up almost 240,000 customers. Later last year, NTT DoCoMo<br>
and KDDI followed with their own flat-rate services based on<br>
the HSDPA and EVDO Rev.A technologies, respectively. SoftBank<br>
does not offer flat-rate services, yet. </p>
<p>Japanese web magazine 'BB Watch' compared the service levels of<br>
the three providers. On paper the HSPDA and EVDO Rev.A network<br>
technologies promise high bandwidths. HSDPA is supposed to have<br>
a dowlnload speed of 7.2 Mbps and 384 kbps for uploads, while<br>
EVDO should offer 3.1 Mbps download and 1.8 Mbps upload speeds.<br>
BB Watch did field tests at two locations in Tokyo measuring<br>
download and upload speeds for the three services. EMobile and<br>
NTT DoCoMo scored best with download speeds of about 1.7 Mbps.<br>
With just over 150 kbps, KDDI's performance was rather<br>
disappointing. </p>
<p>EMobile is the only service provider that does not limit the<br>
amount of data or type of traffic. NTT DoCoMo only allows web<br>
browsing and email over its network - P2P, FTP, and streaming<br>
data traffic is blocked. Therefore, Skype services can't be used<br>
to make cheap phone calls. This limitation can be overcome by<br>
using a VPN connection that can prevent the carrier detecting<br>
what type of traffic is transmitted over its network. However,<br>
network speeds will then drop dramatically to several 10s of<br>
kbps. </p>
<p>Regarding service fees, EMobile is also the most attractive –<br>
a monthly 'all-you-can-eat' data fee of 4,980 yen (55 US$). NTT<br>
DoCoMo and KDDI charge 6,930 and 10,500 yen, respectively. </p>
<p>EMobile weakest point is its limited service area. It is<br>
aggressively expanding its coverage and plans to complete a<br>
nationwide network by 2010. Currently, service is mainly<br>
available in larger cities and coverage – in particular<br>
underground – is still patchy. </p>
<p>EMobile will start voice services in March 2008. After<br>
SoftBank's acquisition of Vodafone Japan, it seems another new<br>
entrant in the wireless market is forcing incumbents NTT DoCoMo<br>
and KDDI to become even more competitive. </p>
<p>By Arjen Van Blokland</p>
<p>To comment on this newsletter please visit the website version of<br>
the article at <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/ww170" title="www.japaninc.com/ww170">www.japaninc.com/ww170</a></p>
<p>++EVENTS<br>
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Start a Company in Japan</p>
<p>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 1st of March, 2008</p>
<p>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>
find out what it takes to make it successful.<br>
Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,<br>
will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on<br>
starting up a company in Japan.<br>
This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>
and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered<br>
in business books.<br>
All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.</p>
<p>For more details: <a href="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/" title="http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/">http://japaninc.com/terrie_lloyd/</a></p>
<p>------- Job Fair for International Students & Careers ---------</p>
<p>The JOBFAIR will be held on March 8th in AKIHABARA.<br>
This JOBFAIR is the biggest event for international students<br>
and foreigners who are thinking about a career change in Japan:<br>
50+ companies will attend seeking internationally-minded people!</p>
<p>JOBFAIR participants will have an opportunity<br>
to visit company booths and ask HR about careers.</p>
<p>Some companies may have interviews on the day.<br>
The JOBFAIR provides a great chance to meet many companies and<br>
learn about them what they do and the people they need in a<br>
short period of time.</p>
<p>DATE: March 8th /11:00 - 18:00<br>
PLACE: at AKIHABARA<br>
<a href="http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/JB5001LG.php?j=12&banner_id=rfb00009" title="http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/JB5001LG.php?j=12&banner_id=rfb00009">http://www.jobfair.jp/jp/JB5001LG.php?j=12&banner_id=rfb00009</a><br>
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<p>++END</p>