NTT Docomo facts for kids
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Sanno Park Tower, home of NTT Docomo's headquarters
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Native name
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株式会社NTTドコモ
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Romanized name
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Kabushiki gaisha Entiti Dokomo |
| Subsidiary KK | |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 14 August 1991 |
| Headquarters | Sanno Park Tower Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan |
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Key people
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Kazuhiro Yoshizawa (CEO) |
| Products | PDC, i-mode, W-CDMA, FOMA, HSDPA, LTE, 5G NR, PHS |
| Revenue |  ¥6.06 trillion (2022) |
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Operating income
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¥1.09 trillion (2022) |
| ¥771.8 billion (2022) |
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| Total assets |  ¥10.2 trillion (2022) |
| Total equity | ¥6.95 trillion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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27,558 (2019) |
| Parent | Nippon Telegraph and Telephone |
| Divisions | Lemino |
| Subsidiaries |
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NTT Docomo, Inc. (株式会社NTTドコモ, Kabushiki gaisha Enutītī Dokomo, stylized as NTT DoCoMo until 2008) is a major Japanese company. It provides mobile phone services. The name "Docomo" is a mix of words. It stands for "do communications over the mobile network." It also comes from a Japanese word meaning "everywhere."
The company's main office is in Sanno Park Tower in Tokyo, Japan. Docomo offers many services. These include phone calls, video calls, internet access (i-mode), and email. It is the biggest wireless carrier in Japan. It has over 82 million customers.
Docomo started in August 1991. It was created from its parent company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT). NTT used to own most of Docomo. In 2020, NTT bought back Docomo completely.
The company offers different generations of mobile services. These include 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. They also used to offer paging and satellite services.
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Customers and Services
NTT Docomo is part of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT). NTT is Japan's main telephone company. Most of Docomo's shares are owned by NTT. This means Japanese interests control the company.
Docomo gives wireless voice and data services to people in Japan. They created the W-CDMA technology. This technology helps mobile phones connect to the internet. They also created the i-mode service.
As of March 2008, Docomo had over 53 million customers. This was more than half of Japan's mobile phone users. They offer many mobile internet services. Their i-mode service gives email and internet access to millions.
Docomo launched the world's first 3G mobile service in 2001. It was called FOMA. They also launched 4G LTE service in 2010. Their 5G service started in March 2020.
Docomo also works with companies in other countries. They have offices in Europe and North America. They also partner with mobile companies in Asia-Pacific and Europe.
In 2006, a new service started in Japan. It allowed people to keep their phone number when changing providers. Because of this, Docomo lost some customers. They were also one of the last major mobile companies to offer Apple's iPhone. This also caused some customers to switch to other networks.
In 2011, Docomo partnered with McAfee. They offered McAfee VirusScan Mobile to their Android users. In 2012, Docomo bought an Italian company called Buongiorno.
Research and Development
Docomo is always working on new technologies. In 2007, they showed a special mobile phone. It could check a person's health. It tracked body movement and measured calories. It also had a breathalyzer.
In 2008, Docomo partnered with Google. This allowed their newer phone models to watch YouTube videos. Docomo also helped create the Symbian Foundation. This group worked on a new smartphone operating system.
In May 2017, Docomo started testing 5G networks. These tests happened in Tokyo. They officially launched their 5G network on March 25, 2020. This made Japan one of the first countries to have 5G.
In 2021, Docomo worked with Airbus. They tested a solar-powered aircraft called Zephyr. This aircraft flies high in the sky. It can be used for 5G and 6G technology. The test showed it could send data over long distances. If successful, it could bring internet to remote areas. This includes islands, mountains, and sea lanes.
Earthquake Warning System
Since 2008, Docomo has offered a special service. It is called the "Area Mail Disaster Information Service." This service sends "Earthquake Early Warning" messages. These messages come from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The service sends alerts to Docomo customers with compatible phones. It is free to use. Messages are only sent to areas that will be affected by an earthquake. These alerts have a special sound. This helps people know it's an important warning.
Civil Protection System
Since 2014, Docomo also offers another important service. It's called the "Area Mail Disaster and Evacuation Information Service." This service sends "J-Alert" messages. These messages include earthquake warnings and other alerts. They come from the Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
These messages are sent when there is a serious threat. For example, they might warn about a missile launch or a tsunami. They can also warn about volcanic eruptions or terrorist attacks.
Mascot
Docomo has a famous mascot named Docomodake. He is a mushroom character. Docomodake is very popular in Japan. He even starred in a Nintendo DS video game called Boing! Docomodake DS. Nintendo also included a Docomodake Mii in their Miitomo app.
You can find lots of Docomodake merchandise. There are cell phone straps, keychains, and plush dolls. There are also different Docomodake family members. These characters represent the different phone plans Docomo offers.
Emoji
Shigetaka Kurita worked on Docomo's i-mode internet platform. He was once thought to be the first creator of emoji. However, this has been corrected. Another company, SoftBank, released their emoji set earlier in 1997.
The company that creates an emoji usually owns its copyright. For example, Apple owns the copyright for its emoji designs. Companies like Facebook and Twitter own the copyright for their emoji too.
Emoji designs are standardized by the Unicode Consortium. This group sets rules for how emoji should look. But companies can still create their own unique versions of emoji.
Investments Outside Japan
NTT Docomo has invested in companies outside Japan. However, these investments were not always successful. Docomo invested a lot of money in companies like KPN and AT&T Wireless. But they had to sell these investments. This caused Docomo to lose about $10 billion. At the same time, Docomo's business in Japan was doing well.
In 2007, Docomo and KT Freetel invested in U Mobile Malaysia. In 2008, Docomo joined the Symbian Foundation. This group worked to create a new smartphone operating system.
In 2006, Docomo bought Guamcell. This was the biggest phone company in Guam. They changed its name to DoCoMo Pacific.
Docomo is also working to use its FeliCa-based payment system, called iD, in other countries. They have launched it in Guam. They also tried it in Shanghai and Beijing, China.
Docomo Capital
Docomo Capital is a part of NTT Docomo. It invests in new mobile technology companies. These companies are mostly in the United States. Docomo Capital has invested $100 million in these startups. Some companies they have invested in include Evernote and Swype.
Docomo Digital
Docomo Digital is NTT DOCOMO's international payments business. It works with phone companies, stores, and app stores. Docomo Digital helps people pay for things using their phone bill. It also helps with other payment methods like e-wallets. This business was sold to Bango plc in August 2022.
Hikari TV
Hikari TV (ひかりTV) is a Japanese IPTV service. IPTV means watching TV over the internet. It started in 2008. It was first owned by an internet company called NTT Plala. In 2013, Hikari TV launched a cloud gaming service. This allowed people to play games on their TV.
On July 1, 2022, NTT Docomo took over NTT Plala. So, Hikari TV became part of Docomo's services. Hikari TV offers many TV channels. It also creates its own shows.
See also
In Spanish: NTT DoCoMo para niños
- Japanese mobile phone culture
- NTT Docomo USA
- List of telephone operating companies
- List of telecommunications regulatory bodies
