i-Mode, the wireless Internet access service introduced in Japan in 1999 by NTT DoCoMo, has emerged as a smash hit. As of February 2001, subscriptions to the i-Mode service had climbed above 20 million. If the competing offerings of other service providers, such as J-Sky and EZ Web are added to the mix, the total Japanese subscription base is now over 25 million. This report surveys the technical elements of i- Mode, as well as describing its market success. |