DOCOMO, China Mobile, KT Agree to Joint Wi-Fi® Inbound Roaming
— 3 companies to promote scheme at Mobile World Congress 2013 —
Partnerships
TOKYO, JAPAN / HONG KONG, CHINA / SEOUL, KOREA, February 25, 2013 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., China Mobile International Ltd. and KT Corporation of Korea announced today that they have agreed to lay out a joint Wi-Fi® inbound roaming scheme covering Japan, China and Korea. The three companies will jointly exhibit the scheme to global operators at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona beginning February 25.
While DOCOMO, China Mobile and KT already provide nationwide Wi-Fi® services in their respective markets, the new arrangement will allow international mobile and/or Wi-Fi® operators to roam into Wi-Fi® hotspots in Japan, China and Korea through a single contract and a one-stop connection realized by hubs supported by the scheme. At this point, China Mobile International is named to be one of the hub operators. The scheme, targeted for launch in the second quarter of 2013, is a result of the business tie-up between DOCOMO, China Mobile Communications Corporation and KT announced in January 2011.
Meanwhile, DOCOMO, China Mobile and KT will adopt EAP-SIM authentication technology to eliminate the need for customers to enter user IDs and passwords when accessing Wi-Fi® hotspots, leading to improved convenience and experiences. The companies will each handle implementation of the authentication technology in accordance with their own required procedures, targeting the launch of services sometime in the second quarter of 2013.
To explore ways to further enhance Wi-Fi® roaming convenience and user experiences, the three companies also are taking part in the second phase of the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) trial, in which key Wi-Fi® operators and vendors in the alliance are developing seamless, robust and secure technology for more effortless Wi-Fi® roaming.
- About NTT DOCOMO, INC.
- NTT DOCOMO is a world-leading integrated-services company centered on mobility. The company serves over 60 million mobile customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world’s first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit www.nttdocomo.com for more information.
- About China Mobile International
- China Mobile International (CMI), established in 2011 as the international arm of China Mobile, represents for all China Mobile international business to provide full international dedicated services of voice, mobile and data services including IPLC, IEPL, IP VPN, IP transit and IDC etc. CMI is committed to providing highly competitive services and with extensive coverage. With the vast international presence and reliable partners, CMI is rapidly expanding the global reach on the global backbone infrastructure and dedicated to offer one-stop-shop and innovative solutions.
- About KT
- KT is a leading mobile ICT company in Korea providing a range of communication services including wire, wireless phone services, high-speed internet services, voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP), Internet protocol television (IPTV), and wireless broadband (WiBro) services. KT has successfully pursued new growth opportunities and obtained strong market positions in each of our principal lines of business in particular such as nationwide LTE services, mobile payment and credit card services, mobile GPS, satellite service, cloud computing services, smart grid, and smart city development.
