Vodafone to stop selling 2G phones in Japan

December 23, 2004 - source: BWCS

In what some analysts believe could be a portent of things to come across the globe, Vodafone in Japan has announced that it will stop selling any second generation mobile phones after 2005. The president of Vodafone Japan, Shiro Tsuda, was quoted on the Japan Today website as saying that his company will "Encourage its customers to shift to third-generation handsets for faster data communications. Vodafone will offer its last 2G handset next year and no more 2G later" he said.

The UK-based global mobile giant has had little success with its Japanese 3G venture so far. Despite a customer base of some 15 million, the company has managed to garner only 300,000 W-CDMA users. In a new drive to break into the increasingly competitive market for next generation mobile services in Japan, it now appears that Vodafone is prepared to cease selling second generation handsets altogether and virtually force customers either to buy new 3G phones or switch to the opposition.