Japan Media Review Update: January 6, 2005

JMR Staff (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California)

Review
The following reviews are posted at: http://www.japanmediareview.com/japan/digest/digest.php

Japan Wants More Workers to Telecommute
From AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer's INQ7.net: Japan's telecom ministry launched a pilot telecommuting program on the Internet with the goal of getting 20 percent of Japan's workers doing their jobs from home by the end of the decade. Four million Japanese currently telecommute, or about six percent of 63.2 million workers in the nation. A increase in telecommuting would improve workplace efficiency, allow for more family time, and even reduce overcrowding on the country's trains and roads, said Taketo Deguchi of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In the pilot program, six telecom ministry workers will telecommute via high speed Internet at least once a week and will later report their experiences. Deguchi said the ministry plans to have a fifth of its 2,500 workers telecommuting by 2006, and hopes to "(encourage) the sharing of know-how about telecommuting with the private sector."
-- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco

DoCoMo, NEC Among Companies Developing Advanced 3G
From Reuters: A "Super 3G" mobile phone standard capable of transmitting high resolution video 10 times faster than current 3G services will be developed by the world's leading mobile phone carriers, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported. Japanese wireless carriers NTT DoCoMo and NEC are among 26 companies said to be on board to launch services for the improved standard by 2009, although DoCoMo had no comment on the newspaper's report. Demand will likely be high for large-screen mobiles suitable for movies and games, and DoCoMo may invest nearly $1 billion on infrastructure improvements for the new service, the paper added.
-- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco

DoCoMo, NEC Turn to Wireless Opportunities in China
From AFP via South Africa's Business Report: Japanese electronics corporation NEC wants to create an infrastructure in China for 3G mobile services. The company said it has communicated with Chinese telecom operators about selling 3G equipment. "We are ready to enter the 3G market in China," said NEC spokeswoman Akiko Shikimori. "Since China is the world's biggest mobile phone market, we expect its demand for the next-generation services to grow sharply." Although 3G has enjoyed great popularity in Japan, concerns over its high costs have stalled a similar welcome in other countries. And according to Forbes, NTT DoCoMo said it is also investing in Chinese mobile services, putting away $4 million in a mapping and location service and another $4.2 million in a digital media group.
-- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco