NTT DoCoMo officials are testing a new
service that lets its users pay via an embedded integrated circuit
of wireless handsets.
The two companies will create a company, FeliCa Networks, Inc., in
January, 2004, in order to cement the arrangement between telecom and
manufacturer that is necessary to build payment-ready devices.
The test, dubbed the i-mode FeliCa preview service, will be conducted by
5,000 participants from 27 different wireless phone companies around
Japan. With FeliCa, users will pay for toll booth charges and other
applicable e-money charges, as well as for personal identification.
During the trial, NTT DoCoMo will monitor and analyze the usage
statistics to further develop its e-commerce initiative. The test ends
in the Summer of 2004, and officials plan to launch the service
throughout Japan soon afterwards.