DoCoMo 3G handsets slow to hit it off

NEWS Since the launch of NTT's DoCoMo 3G FOMA handsets on the 1 October sales have been slow, but one leading analyst says this does not reflect their worth. The FOMA 3G service scored a relatively slim 5,700 subscribers during its first three days of operation, yet Bernt Ostergaard, telecommunications analyst at Giga Web, said this is not a problem for the telco. Ostergaard said: "The initial launch was for tech freaks that need the latest and greatest. The sales up 'til now have no relevance for enterprise." The company's 1 October launch covered central Tokyo only and a rollout to other highly populated Japanese cities is expected within the next six months, stated Ostergaard. Enterprises should wait until then, he added. DoCoMo aims to have 150,000 subscribers by the end of March 2002.