Most Popular Stories
- 3 ways for CIOs to become business leaders
- Chrome 17's new features enhance speed, security
- FBI insists cloud providers meet strict security requirements
- Bug in Trendnet webcams exposes them to public viewing
- Multiple monitors makes some multitasking faster, easier
- Spotlight: Intel launches 520 Series solid-state drive
Events
- The AIIM Conference 2012
March 20-22, 2012 — San Francisco, CA - Customer Engagement Technology World
March 28-29, 2012 — San Francisco - MDSL Telecom Expense Management Roadshow
Feb 21–23, 2012 — New York, Houston, Chicago - Ready to meet the next-generation of business?
March 4-6 2012 — San Francisco, CA
Sponsored Links
Free Newsletter
HOT TOPICS >> The tech world's top flops and fiascos of 2011 | Top 8 features in Windows 8 | Paul's Q&As
INDUSTRY >> Healthcare IT | Government IT | Financial Services IT | Biotech IT | Compliance IT
Free Newsletter
Latest News
Popular Topics
Whitepapers
- Whitepaper: Integrated Analytics and WCM Can Improve Performance & ROI
- Case Study: ABBYY FineReader® Engine Drives Demand for ECM Software Leader
- Reporting 2.0 – The next evolutionary step in web based business reporting
- CSO White Paper - Desktop Virtualization: Empowering Information Security
- Five Tips to Get IT Auditors Off Your Back
- 8 Critical Requirements for Secure, Mobile File Transfer and Collaboration
Japanese mobile giant KDDI to launch U.S. service
It's like a Japanese cellphone fanboy's dream come true: Japan's number two carrier, KDDI, has announced that it will launch its own stateside MVNO (that's Mobile Virtual Network Operator, for those of you who aren't familiar with mobile industry lingo) in partnership with Sprint. The service, which is allegedly aimed at Japanese ex-pats, will allow mobile users to use certain KDDI phones and mobile services in the states, which will run on Sprint's CDMA network. The bloggers are working themselves into a frenzy over this one but I'm a bit skeptical. Why? Well, next to DoCoMo, KDDI's phones aren't really all that exciting. And almost none of the advanced features that Japanese users enjoy (video chat, mobile payments, etc.) will be able to operate on Sprint's network. Ultimately, you'll be paying out the nose for the privilege of carrying what's really a ¥1 phone--and it won't even be able to do half of the things that its Japanese counterpart does. If you want to know how this is all going to shake out, I think it might be instructive to look at the Asian MVNO trailblazer Helio: cool phones and not much else. KDDI plans to launch its U.S. service by the middle of this month. Yawn.
For more on KDDI's forthcoming U.S. service:
- see this Asahi Shimbun article
Related Stories
- Sprint Airave sees limited release
- Palm Gandolf reborn as Treo 500?
- Verizon, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint launch Moto RAZR2
- Will Android live up to the hype?
- Verizon unveils holiday lineup
- Hands-on with the Palm Centro
- Jobs confirms 3G iPhone for next year
- Sprint's fall handset lineup revealed
- Video: HP iPaq 600 demonstration
- HP iPaq lineup revealed
Home
| Subscribe | Advertise | RSS |
Privacy
| Site Map
| EditorsTHE FIERCEMARKETS NETWORKFierceEnergy | FierceSmartGrid | FierceFinance | FierceFinanceIT | FierceComplianceIT | FierceHealthcare | FierceHealthFinance | FierceHealthIT | Hospital Impact | FierceMobileHealthcare | FierceHealthPayer | FiercePracticeManagement | FierceEMR | FierceCIO | FierceCIO:TechWatch | FierceContentManagement | FierceMobileIT | FierceGovernmentIT | FierceGovernment | FierceHomelandSecurity | FierceBiotech | FierceBiotech Research | FiercePharma | FierceVaccines | FierceBiotechIT | FiercePharma Manufacturing | FierceMedicalDevices | FierceDrugDelivery | FierceIPTV | FierceOnlineVideo | FierceTelecom | FierceEnterpriseCommunications | FierceBroadbandWireless | FierceDeveloper | FierceMobileContent | FierceWireless | FierceWireless:Europe | FierceCable© 2011 FierceMarkets. All rights reserved. |
![]() |




