Nokia to launch own mobile phone service in Japan: report

TOKYO: Nokia, the world's top cellphone maker, plans to launch its own mobile phone service in Japan next year to break into a market dominated by three domestic companies, a report said on Saturday.

The Finnish firm will become the first handset manufacturer to provide cellphone services in Japan, the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun said. The market has been dominated by NTT Docomo Inc, KDDI Corp and SoftBank Mobile Corp.

Nokia is in talks to rent wireless communication networks from Docomo, the daily said.

It plans to sell handsets for the service in February - initially high-end Vertu terminals to boost its brand image - and start operating it in March, the report said.

Nokia, which sold 437 million mobile phones in 2007 and accounted for a 37.8 percent global market share, will later provide cheaper mass-produced phones for the service, the Yomiuri added.

Vertu makes expensive handsets that are often embellished with titanium, gold, jewels and crystal.

In Japan, NTT Docomo and Softbank Mobile Corp. sell Nokia-made handsets. But Nokia's market share is limited as many Japanese consumers are accustomed to models offered by domestic manufacturers.