KDDI Corp. launched a third-generation high-speed data transmission service Monday for its au mobile phone service, moving to compete with a similar service offered by rival NTT DoCoMo Inc.
The new CDMA2000 1x service, to be available across Japan, moves data at 144 kilobits per second via the Internet, making it easy for users to send and receive video transmissions. The au service previously only handled data at 64 Kbps.
The nation's second-largest telecommunications operator will also launch five new handset models, one of which features a built-in miniature camera.