Softbank Mobile Corp. was the nation's top gainer in mobile phone contracts for the second year in a row in fiscal 2011, the companies' reports showed Friday.
In the year to last month, Softbank achieved a record net increase of 3,540,300 contracts compared with its previous high of 3,532,100 in fiscal 2010 by taking advantage of Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4S smartphone and iPad tablet computer and other popular products.
NTT Docomo Inc. came in second, with a net gain of 2,119,700 contracts, edging out KDDI Corp.'s au service, which settled for third with a net gain of 2,110,100 contracts.
Personal handyphone system service provider Willcom Inc. posted a net gain of 804,600 contracts, the first rise in four years, boosted by a popular system that allows PHS customers to converse with users of other companies' cell phones at fixed rates under certain conditions.