Disney goes mobile in Japan
Service will be country's first MVNO
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Disney first announced the service, which it will operate with Softbank Mobile Corp., in November. It will become Japan's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).
Users will have a choice of three handsets, all made by Sharp and all featuring a Mickey Mouse design. They will also be able to use Disney characters to decorate screens and emails free of charge and access Disney websites via a special online bar.
Disney already offers mobile content services, developed in-house for Japan, to more than 3.5 million registered users. But Disney decided not to go it alone in the Japanese market because of the high start-up costs -- about 1 trillion yen ($9.43 billion) for a nationwide network of base stations.
Softbank Mobile has been in the mobile communications biz since 1994 and had 17.6 million subscribers by the end of 2007, making it the third-largest mobile network operator in the country. It also has more than 2,500 stores.
Disney's similar MVNO service failed Stateside.
