New DoCoMo phones can work in 154 nations

NTT DoCoMo Inc. debuted a new 905i line of mobile phone handsets Monday, most of which are based on the world's most popular GSM standard and can be used in about 154 countries.

"The new lineup can meet the expectations of users who want to enjoy various phone functions," DoCoMo President Masao Nakamura said while unveiling the new phones at an event at a large retail store in Tokyo.

At the same time, the company introduced a new fee system it says is more transparent than older ones. It lowers basic monthly charges but raises the prices of handsets.

The company is also offering the option of installment payments in an effort to win back customers lost amid intensifying competition.

Under older pricing plans, phone carriers paid higher sales promotion fees to sales agents, which allowed them to sell handsets at extremely low prices. The deep discounts on phones were later made up by charging high service rates.

Wireless communications newcomer Emobile Ltd. said Monday that next month it will start "the world's most advanced" flat-rate mobile data service, allowing downloads at 7.2 Mbps per second.

Emobile becomes the first Japanese wireless operator to announce the launch of 7.2 Mbps mobile data service, based on so-called high speed down-link packet access technology.

The service will begin Dec. 12 with a fixed monthly fee of ¥4,980, unchanged from its current service allowing downloads at 3.6 Mbps.

Emobile, a subsidiary of land-line broadband service operator eAccess Ltd., became the first company in 13 years to enter Japan's increasingly competitive wireless market in March.