Nokia, the largest cellphone handset maker in the world, plans to start mobile phone service in Japan to expand the market share of its own handsets, local media reported Saturday.
It would be the first time a cellphone handset maker made inroads into telecommunication services in Japan, the Kyodo News Agency quoted sources close to the matter as saying. The move is likely to intensify competition among other domestic cellphone carriers such as NTT Docomo Inc., observers say.
According to the sources, Nokia is contemplating starting the mobile phone service in a form called mobile virtual network operator, under which the Finnish manufacturer will use communication lines owned by NTT Docomo.
The unidentified sources told Kyodo that Nokia will sell high-end handset models, such as handsets decorated with jewels, in Japan, targeting wealthy consumers, to strengthen its brand image. It will also provide special service for upscale customers, under which a user will be able to contact customer-service staff round the clock with one push of a special button on the handset and make various requests such as hotel reservations.
Nokia, headquartered in Finland, saw its sales of about 437 million units in 2007, which accounted for an about 38 percent of the global market share.
Nokia's handsets are popular in a wide area of the world, including Europe, Africa, China and India.
In Japan, NTT Docomo and Softbank Mobile Corp., a core unit of Softbank Corp., sell Nokia-made handsets. But its market share remains small, apparently because many Japanese consumers are accustomed to models with multiple functions offered by domestic manufacturers.
Source: Xinhua
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