Picture on left shows i-Mode shop in The Hague, Netherlands.

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced that it will establish a wholly owned subsidiary in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to serve as a hub from which to promote the speedy dissemination of service in Europe.

DoCoMo i-mode Europe B.V. will provide consultation regarding technology and marketing, as well as support in the setup and operation of i-mode services. The clients will be the following operators in Europe to which DoCoMo has licensed i-mode technology: KPN Mobile N.V., E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH & Co. KG, BASE, and Bouygues Telecom S.A., in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France, respectively.

Other important tasks of the new company will be to promote i-mode service in Europe, encouraging other operators to choose i-mode as their mobile internet service, and to provide consultation to European operators who are willing to set up the i-mode service. In addition, it will conduct studies of European mobile communications markets.

This new subsidiary is evidence of DoCoMo's commitment to expanding its i-mode service worldwide.

DoCoMo i-mode Europe B.V. will be established late in July of this year, with capital of 2.4 million euros, and it will initially employ about 10 people. The likely president of the company is Yusuke Kanda, who is currently working in the i-mode Planning Department at NTT DoCoMo's headquarters.