Mobile phone users now top 100 million

The number of subscriptions for mobile phone services exceeded the 100 million mark for the first time in January, an industry group said Wednesday, meaning the vast majority of people now carry cellular phones.

Customers try new cellular phone models at a discount outlet in Tokyo's Yurakucho district in October when the mobile phone number portability system debuted. KYODO PHOTO

The number of subscriptions, including those to the personal handy-phone system, was 100,224,500 at the end of January, according to the Telecommunications Carriers Association. Japan's population of around 128 million.

The proliferation of mobile phones has been boosted by the popularity of a wide range of handset services, including Internet connection and music downloading, according to industry observers.

Children and senior citizens are also using mobile phones as safety devices because they can be used to track the location of the user in case of an emergency, they said.

Cellular phone subscriptions totaled 95,315,200 and PHS users numbered 4,909,300, both up 0.4 percent from December.