Nokia will this month announce its intention to launch a network services division in 2009, it has been claimed.

Japanese-language website Yomiuri Shimbun has reported [1] that the Finnish phone giant will initially launch the service in Japan during February 2009.

The country currently has three main network providers: NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank. Nokia’s expected to rent wireless communication networks from DoCoMo, the paper alleged.

However, Nokia network connections may initally be restricted to Vertu phones [2] - Nokia’s luxury handset arm.

Links

1. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/20081122TDY01305.htm
2. http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/09/15/vertu_signature/

Related stories

• Bling phone maker invites celebs to flog first smartphone (13 October 2010)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2010/10/13/vertu_puffs_first_smartphone/

• Vertu presents €5K flip phone (25 September 2009)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2009/09/25/vertu_ayxta/

• NTT DoCoMo shows off futuristic modular phone (18 February 2009)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2009/02/18/ntt_docomo_modular_phone/

• Japan gets 3D phone (29 January 2009)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2009/01/29/kddi_3d_phone/

• Nokia invents social networking mapping (13 December 2008)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2008/12/13/nokia_maps_version_three/

• Vertu offers £20k phone with 'beaten up' look (10 December 2008)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2008/12/10/latest_vertu/

• Unseen touchscreen Nokia leaked (8 December 2008)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2008/12/08/touchscreen_nokia/

• Nokia launches latest flagship 'superphone' (2 December 2008)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2008/12/02/nokia_n97/

• Nokia pulls out of Japan, sort of (28 November 2008)

  http://www.reghardware.com/2008/11/28/nokia_ends_japanese_phone_sales/