NTT DoCoMo to delay 3G service to Oct 1

TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - NTT DoCoMo Inc confirmed it will delay the launch of its third-generation mobile service until Oct 1, saying it will only offer a trial service to 4,000 users from the original May launch date.	    The commercial service will initially cover a 30 kilometre radius from the centre of Tokyo, with Osaka and Nagoya to be included in December, followed by other major cities in the spring of next year. 	    The company said it has applied to the telecommunications ministry to amend the dates of its IMT-2000 service operation licence, adding that it has installed 200 base stations within the trial area.	    The trial area will cover 23 special wards of Tokyo and limited areas in Yokohama and Kawasaki, while users will receive free handsets and be exempted from paying basic monthly charges.	    DoCoMo said the preliminary service is needed to ensure reliable operation and used to assess system performance and provide customer feedback.	    "NTT DoCoMo believes that further testing is needed in order to guarantee an even higher level of system stability," the company said. 

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