Walt Disney is all set to launch its mobile phone services in Japan next spring and will use Japan's number three mobile phone carrier, Softbank (
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Softbank and Walt Disney's Japan unit said in a joint press release that they would cooperate in areas such as new handsets and services. Disney would use Softbank for its mobile service and sell its phones at Softbank's 2,464 stores in Japan,
Disney notes that the company’s Japanese unit has submitted an application to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to become a so-called mobile virtual network operator
.
Wall Street Journal reports that Disney is planning to lease Softbank's mobile network and use Softbank's stores to market phones and services. In addition, Disney has said it will halt its mobile phone service in U.S. at the end of this year, and according to reports, the company expects that the popularity of its Tokyo resort will help it gain share in Japanese market for third-generation phones.
Through its tie-up with Disney, Softbank expects to stabilize its revenues from leasing unused frequencies. Disney executives remarked that Disney would be the first company to launch mobile phones in Japan by renting space from a carrier.
Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor with TMCnet.
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