Last update: 6/8/2007 (not fully revised)
This is an FAQ list for foreigners who are interested in Japanese cellular phones. Subject to change. Comments are welcome.
Table of Contents
* Which cellular technology is used in Japan? (Read this first!)
* Do Japanese phones use a SIM card? Are they locked? Can I unlock them?
* Can I buy a Japanese phone from my country?
* Can I buy a Japanese phone when I visit Japan?
* Can I use a Japanese phone in my country?
* Can I use my phone in Japan?
* Can I buy a prepaid phone or SIM card in Japan?
* Can I buy a GSM phone in Japan? Is it cheap?
* Why on earth are Japanese phones so exclusive?
* What is PHS?
* Glossary
* Links
Which cellular technology is used in Japan?
It depends on operators and services.
operator 2G 3G PHS
NTT DoCoMo PDC 800MHz/1.5GHz
"mova" W-CDMA 2GHz
"FOMA" PHS 1.9GHz
"@FreeD"
KDDI "au" cdmaOne 800MHz CDMA2000 1x 800MHz N/A
SoftBank Mobile
(formerly Vodafone) PDC 1.5GHz W-CDMA 2GHz
"SoftBank 3G" N/A
TU-KA PDC 1.5GHz N/A N/A
Willcom N/A N/A PHS 1.9GHz
"AIR-EDGE"
Mainstream services are emphasized. Brand names are "quoted."
Some important notes:
* PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) is a TDMA-based 2G technology and deployed only in Japan.
* GSM is not deployed in Japan.
* N900iG, M1000 (based on Motorola A1000), NM850iG (based on Nokia 6630), N600i and L600i are the only FOMA phones that supports GSM as well. Other FOMA phones are FOMA(W-CDMA) only.
* Although SoftBank 3G is a W-CDMA service, almost all SoftBank 3G phones (except 802N, 703N and 905SH) are W-CDMA/GSM dual-mode for international roaming in GSM countries.
* FOMA network and phones are based on an older version of W-CDMA technology (3GPP Release 99) while SoftBank 3G and foreign W-CDMA are based on the official version (3GPP Release 2000). They are not fully compatible.
via :
http://euc.jp/misc/cellphones.en.htmland then the 3G aka UMTS issue..
Can I use my phone in Japan?
Depends on the technology.
GSM phones:
No. GSM is not deployed in Japan. If you just would like to use your GSM SIM card (i.e. make/receive calls with your usual number) in Japan, buy or rent a W-CDMA (UMTS) phone, put your SIM card in it and it can roam in Japan. See below about W-CDMA roaming.
cdmaOne/CDMA2000 phones:
Some CDMA phones can roam in Japan. Ask your operator.
W-CDMA (UMTS) phones:
Yes. They can roam in Japan. Your operator must be an inbound roaming partner of DoCoMo or SoftBank Mobile. Be careful that DoCoMo's reception may be very poor because most of FOMA network is still based on an older version of W-CDMA technology and foreign W-CDMA phones may be incompatible with it. Some foreign W-CDMA phones (such as Motorola A835) are known to be compatible with FOMA network.
PHS (PCT) phones:
Taiwan FITEL PHS phones can roam in Japan. Ask FITEL.
