IPMobile to test 42Mbps cellular data

A Japanese mobile carrier will test a cellular technology that promises downloads as fast as 42.2Mbps (bits per second) in Tokyo this month.

The tests will be conducted by IPMobile, a new cellular carrier that is planning to launch a data-centric commercial service in the Tokyo area next year based on the TD-CDMA (time division code division multiple access). The service had been due to launch in October 2006 in three cities, but has been scaled back to just Tokyo and will launch about six months later than planned.

IPMobile's initial commercial service will offer a maximum theoretical download speed of 11Mbps but the trials taking place this month will test out a more advanced version of the technology called E-R7 (evolved release 7), said Yumi Sakamoto, a spokeswoman for the company.

The field trials will test how well the signals travel, real-life download speed, and various Internet applications. Also included will be streaming of high-definition television.

IPMobile, a privately financed company, holds one of three licenses recently issued by the Japanese government to provide cellular service in Japan. Its shareholders include Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), CSK Group, Shoeisha Co., and the Rakuten Group.

When it launches its service next year it will be entering a competitive marketplace. All three of Japan's major cellular carriers have just launched high-speed data services. NTT DoCoMo and Softbank are offering 3.6Mbps HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) on their respective WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) networks and KDDI is also offering equally fast downloads on a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev.A network.

All three carriers charge PC users according to the amount of data they send and receive and there are no flat-rate plans that cover PC use. A fourth carrier, Willcom, is enjoying popularity among PC users despite download speeds of between 32kbps and 256kbps because it offers a flat-rate plan.