Japan's KDDI to dip into American cellular waters
updated 08:05 am EDT, Mon April 9, 2007
KDDI Coming to US
One of Japan's largest cellphone carrers is about to try its hand at the American market, according to the company. KDDI said on Monday that it would launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) dubbed KDDI Mobile that will use Sprint's existing backbone to provide its own take on phone service. The expansion was triggered in part by success at home, reports said.
Although no devices or a specific timeframe were given, the introduction may clear a path for previously Japan-only phones such as the Sony-Ericsson W51S to make their first appearances in the US. KDDI will also present a key challenge to Helio, which runs on the same network and is backed by the Korean provider SK Telecom.
