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Fixed-Mobile Convergence Strategies: Japan

Japan represents one of the most advanced mobile data content markets in the world. 25% of Japanese MNOs' revenues are already derived from data applications (and ony a small fraction of this - 2.5% - comes from SMS). Japan also leads in Broadband availability and adoption and Japanese broadband customers enjoy some of the World's lowest prices. The Japanese government has defined a policy to encourage ubiquitous connection for all in Japan and will provide regulatory and financial support towards achieving this objective. These factors, combined with measures to increase levels of competition and make new, faster, access technologies available, place Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) at the centre of MNO strategy development. MNOs will benefit directly from introducing carrier-grade IP technology into their core networks, but more importantly, they must be in a position to support their customers and deliver value regardless of the access channels selected, which will include not only their own cellular Radio Access Network, but also home-based or public WiFi access points with broadband connections to the Internet, WiMAX and other alternatives. How MNOs in Japan plan for and implement FMC will provide extremely important pointers for MNOs in other markets where non-voice, non-SMS digital content and broadband penetration levels have yet to meet Japanese levels. This report examines the current status and plans of the key FMC players in the Japanese market, so that lessons about what works and what doesn't (from a technical and a commercial point of view) can inform the planning of those that are travelling, like Japan, towards a fully converged and ubiquitously connected future.

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Table of Contents

1
Overview
1
2
Introduction
2
2.1
What is FMC?
2
2.2
Why FMC?
3
2.3
Japan and FMC
3
2.4
Report Structure
3
3
Japan's Telecom Environment
5
3.1
Market Background
5
3.1.1
Overall FMC Market Size
5
3.1.2
Incumbent Players
6
3.1.3
New Entrants
8
3.1.4
Major Wireless Broadband Player Summary
9
3.2
Regulatory Support for FMC
9
3.2.1
New Mobile Operators and WiMAX Licences
9
3.2.2
Mobile Number Portability
10
3.2.3
Government's "u-Japan Policy"
10
4
FMC Strategies
12
4.1
Key challenges
12
4.2
First FMC Initiatives
14
4.3
KDDI
16
4.3.1
Overview of FMC Initiatives
16
4.3.2
Duogate
16
4.4
NTT DoCoMo
18
4.4.1
Overview of FMC Initiatives
18
4.4.2
Passage Duple: 3G + W-LAN
18
4.4.3
HSDPA network on the move
20
4.5
Softbank
21
4.6
Willcom
21
4.7
eAccess
22
4.8
Yozan
23
4.9
W-LAN Handsets and VoIP
24
4.10
W-LAN Offers and Public Networks
26
4.11
WiMAX Strategies
27
5
Conclusions
28
5.1
Infrastructure is not enough
28
5.2
Becoming an Internet Brand
28
5.3
FMC Leading Towards Fragmentation
29
5.4
FMC Beyond Telecom Players
29