Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc and the world's largest mobile phone maker Nokia said yesterday they will jointly develop an open standard for third generation (3G) mobile phones to create a uniform global service.
"NTT DoCoMo Inc and Nokia today launched a joint action plan to accelerate the development based on the open mobile architecture initiative," they said, adding the move was vital for the worldwide deployment of 3G phones.
PHOTO: AFP
The pair will focus on developing a mobile structure for 3G services. DoCoMo already leads the world in this area after launching the first ever 3G phone service at the start of October.
"Under this collaboration with Nokia, we can expect greater expansion of 3G," DoCoMo chief executive Keiji Tachikawa told journalists.
The joint announcement followed the launch Monday of a loosely formed consortium of 18 international high-tech firms, including Nokia, DoCoMo and Motorola -- the world's top three mobile phone makers -- aimed at building a global and open mobile service architecture.
Nokia of Finland and DoCoMo decided to take the lead and were ready to start work on the project immediately, Tachikawa said.
"Nokia is the largest vendor of mobile phone handsets. We [DoCoMo] started the first 3G service. It was natural for us to start collaborating," he said.
"But this is not a closed alliance. We are inviting other firms to join us and expand the collaboration in other areas as well," said Tachikawa.
Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila said the pair would create a system to improve mobile phones for users and Internet content providers.
"What we need in any network environment is to have a common, basic standard," Ollila said.
DoCoMo and Nokia want to build a new standard to stimulate competition and creation of services in "the best possible way," he said.
Third generation phones allow users to gain high-speed Internet access, send and receive e-mails, see moving images of who they are talking to, take photographs with their handset and play electronic games.
At present, the service in only available in restricted areas within Tokyo.
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