NTT DoCoMo of Japan today switched on the world’s first 3G mobile phone network and unveiled new handsets equipped for video conferencing, according to a report by the BBC. The company hopes to roll out the 3G service to European users by the end of this year or early 2002.

NTT DoCoMo has named its 3G service Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access (FOMA), which it developed jointly with NEC Corporation. Initially, the service will operate only within a 20 mile radius of Tokyo. The service has been running among 4,500 users on a trial basis since May.

According to reports, the handsets will range in price from 30,000 yen, or £171, to 95,700 yen, or £547.

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