Vodafone K.K. License for 1.7GHz W-CDMA 3G Trial

Europe : Vodafone K.K. announced that it acquired a preliminary license from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which was applied for on 27 April 2005, to operate W-CDMA experimental radio stations on the 1.7GHz frequency band, marking the first time for an existing mobile operator in Japan to receive such a license.

Vodafone K.K. currently offers 3G services on the 2GHz frequency band. However, due to an increasing number of 3G customer contracts and the proliferation of packet communication flat-rate services, a rapid increase in 3G traffic is expected, which would make current 2GHz frequency band capacity insufficient. To avoid this issue, Vodafone K.K. applied for experimental radio station licenses with a view to commercialisation.

With this preliminary license, test emissions of radio spectrum will be possible, allowing Vodafone K.K. to commence construction of radio stations at planned sites and measure radio characteristics. After this work is completed and inspections are passed, Vodafone K.K. plans to acquire a field test license.

Upon receiving a field test license, Vodafone K.K. plans to conduct field tests for approximately 6 months in Chiba Prefecture to investigate radio wave propagation characteristics and building shadowing effects, as well as measure in-building penetration loss while operating on the 1.7GHz frequency band.