DoCoMo lures travelers with low-cost, 'premium' Wi-Fi

NTT DoCoMo has announced that it is offering a "premium" public Wi-Fi service, with a maximum speed of 72 Mbps, to travelers within Japan on a trial basis.

The operator did not include technical details regarding the service. DoCoMo said the service will be available at its public Wi-Fi hotspots in more than 150,000 locations, including train stations, airports and cafes.

Visitors who want to access the service have until March 31, 2015, to apply for credentials, which will remain valid for 150 days after they are received. Applications are offered in English, simplified/traditional Chinese and Korean.

The service is not free, but it is close. DoCoMo will charge 900 yen ($8.66) for one week of access and 1,300 yen ($12.50) for three weeks.

Further, there is no dedicated app available for use with the service. Customers will have to select the SSID and enter the security key, user ID and password themselves each time they want to access a hotspot.

As Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, several companies and Japan's government have been initiating programs designed to assist foreign visitors in accessing public Wi-Fi services.

For more:
- see this DoCoMo site

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