DoCoMo to Increase Speed of I-Mode Phones

Japanese mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo Inc., announced plans to boost the speed at which information is sent to 27 million i-mode users by next spring. Currently, its i-mode network is based on a digital technology that limits download speeds to 9,600 bits per second. However, DoCoMo said it will upgrade the network to allow newer model phones to receive content at 28.8 kilobits per second. DoCoMo also plans to triple the amount of memory to store mini Java programs to 30 kilobytes. DoCoMo’s 3G service premiering October 1st, will be offering download speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second.