DoCoMo Now Claims 3 Million 3G Users

Japan's NTT DoCoMo added a million users of its 3G wireless data service in the last two months, increasing the number of total users to 3 million, the company said Wednesday.

The company's latest claim means that it is adding customers faster than it expected. It previously predicted it would attract 2.4 million users to its 3G service, which it has dubbed FOMA, by the end of its fiscal year, which ends today.

In a statement, the company attributed the rapid increase to the recent availability of its 900i series of lightweight 3G phones and the availability of more data services. The company said it also has expanded the availability of the service, even making it available in many Tokyo subway stations.

The company announced last week that it was moving to flat-rate pricing for the 3G service, replacing its current by-the-byte pricing schemes. DoCoMo's FOMA network is based on W-CDMA technology.