Wi-Fi Phones Coming To Japan
Sharp is launching a Wi-Fi based voice-over-ip service for its Japanese Zaurus handhelds in April. Users need to subscribe to NTT's Wi-Fi network and to Sharp's service to make unlimited phone calls. Sharp hasn't disclosed pricing but expects their service cost several hundred Yen per month in addition to NTT's 1600 Yen ( ~$13) per month Wi-Fi subscription so the total could be around $20 per month. With limited Wi-Fi coverage and no mention of being able to receive calls we don't see this service having much more than novelty appeal to early adopters. Any wireless voice service that is limited to specific buildings is not much more useful than a pay phone unless it is totally free. But the long term implications of Wi-Fi VoIP are interesting if Wi-Fi can overcome its range and power limitations.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
