The race to be crowned ‘first in the world’ to launch 3G services has changed course. If NTTDoCoMo’s forthcoming launch of its monitor campaign for 3G services is any indication, the emphasis has shifted from speed to ‘getting it right.’

To date DoCoMo has received 147,000 applications from which only 4,000 will make the final cut by way of a draw. The telecom is seeking tech savvy individuals, which in Japan should not be difficult, to monitor the introductory phase of its ‘FOMA’ 3G service.

This testing phase will run from May 30, 2001 until the official launch on October 1, 2001. During that time volunteers or monitors, will have to answer questionnaires about the service and offer comments and suggestions regarding possible improvements, the company said.

From the applications, it appears that these tech savvy individuals, who could be described as twenty or thirty something males, are hoping for streaming video applications. When asked to choose one of three mobile phones, 60 percent selected the visual model (FOMA P2101V) equipped with a video screen, followed by 30 percent choosing the standard model (FOMA N2001), and 10 percent the data-card model (FOMA P2401) designed for high-speed data transmission.

Of the total respondents, DoCoMo said that about 43,000 of them were from business users and 78 percent from males, in their 20s and 30s.

To ensure that monitors represent a cross-section of the user spectrum, DoCoMo will categorize individual applicants according to age and gender, where corporate users will be based on criteria such as business field, type of business, and their plans for using FOMA services.

The strong response is a signal not only to DoCoMo, but also to telecoms worldwide, who are watching from the sidelines, monitoring DoCoMo’s every move, that there is a strong interest in 3G services. The challenge now for DoCoMo and others will be to meet the users’ expectations.

For more information: http://www.nttdocomo.com/new/contents/01/whatnew0518.html

Mobileinfo Comments and Advisory: There is no doubt that the wireless world is keenly interested in the outcome of this experiment. It will clearly demonstrate that a large segment of the cellular consumer market will respond positively to a good set of advanced applications at affordable prices. We must emphasize that consumers do not want to pay for the 3G infrastructure; they want and will pay for good set of applications (services and content). Infrastructure is a means and not an end. Second point to emphasize is that we must not export the results without filtering and adaptation to European and especially North American market. Third point is that no new technology works without a hitch. We must prepare the users for glitches and some itches. We must look for positive signs that will move us forward and rectify minor technology irritations that are bound to show up.