Japan Panel Backs DoCoMo

A Japanese government advisory panel said that it favors a team led by NTT DoCoMo Inc. over one led by KDDI Corp. to operate the country's next-generation mobile broadcasting service, ending a prolonged battle between Japan's two biggest wireless carriers.

By choosing the DoCoMo team's plan, the government is predictably backing homegrown innovation at the risk of isolating the country. The panel's support for DoCoMo's plan means Japan will adopt a technology platform developed by DoCoMo, the country's largest mobile carrier, and TV broadcasters, instead of another platform developed by U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Inc., which KDDI supports. Starting in 2012, the DoCoMo-led team, which includes several major TV and radio stations, will run the new platform for delivering TV shows and other multimedia content to cellphones and other portable devices. Based on the panel's assessment, the government will later make a formal decision to choose the DoCoMo-led team.