Rafat Ali via MocoNews tells us that KDDI, the second largest mobile phone company in Japan, has plans to launch a niche MVNO here in the U.S. It would piggyback on Sprint’s network and could start up as early as this month.
The service would cater to Japanese expats craving the cellular comforts of home much like Helio does for Koreans. Yet Helio has also made a splash in the youth market–more evidence that Asian Youth are the leaders of the Global Youth Tribe, adopting trends that will soon show up here.
KDDI’s service will later be expanded to include mobile social networking, something Helio has excelled at. In fact, they recently won a
Wireless Week Excellence Award thanks to their networked users:
- MySpace Mobile is used by over 70% of Helio members
- More than 80% of members with a Helio Drift have downloaded GPS-enabled Google Maps for mobile
- Approximately 70% of Helio Drift members have downloaded Buddy Beacon
- Members generated on average more than 400 SMS per month
Still, mobile social networks in the U.S. pale when compared to those in Asia. Check out last week’s post on the newer mobile avatar communities and S! Town–the first ever 3D world on a cell phone.
On the domestic front, KDDI launched a mobile version of a Japanese social network GREE called EZ GREE. Now the wireless world is curious what plans DoCoMo, their largest mobile carrier, has for the space. A partnership with the Mixi, largest Japanese social network perhaps?
Helio’s heavy Q4 losses do make us wonder if the U.S. is ready to adopt such advanced mobile technology. Hopefully the new experience stores will help!
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