Mobile carriers jostle as number portability starts
By SHINICHI TERADA Staff writer
The much-awaited number portability started Tuesday, with mobile carriers offering new gadgets
and services to woo
customers.
Users can now take their telephone numbers with them when they move to another service provider, although their mobile e-mail addresses will have to change.
"We have been preparing for this moment, improving music functions and designs on newly launched mobile phones," said Hirofumi Morozumi, general manager of consumer business at KDDI Corp., the No. 2 carrier.
He was speaking at a launch ceremony for number portability at the Bic Camera in Tokyo's Yurakucho district. Top carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Softbank Mobile Corp., which holds the No. 3 spot, were also at the launch.
Bunya Kumagai, managing director of marketing at DoCoMo, said his firm is ready to compete. "We are proud of our new lineup of models that download music more quickly and services like network coverage," Kumagai said.
The other carriers said they would not respond to the announcement until they saw how users react to the price cuts.
"Softbank's move was much-anticipated. But we don't intend to slash prices for the time being. Instead, we aim to strengthen our handsets' music and download services, and improve their designs," KDDI's Morozumi said.
People browsing the mobile phone displays at the Yurakucho store were not in a hurry to change service providers. (以下省略)