The 8th PHS MoU Group General Meeting was convened on December 20 in Bangkok, Thailand, where the commercial PCT service was launched about a month earlier (refer to a related article on Page 3). This event, held at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, brought together a total of 98 representatives from Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States. The event also welcomed guests, including Mr. Sasmito Dirdjo, Director General of Department of Communications, Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications (DGPT), Indonesia; the delegates of XiAn Telecommunications Bureau in China; and Mr. Yasumitsu Toyoda, Second Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Thailand.
Dr. Hitomi Murakami, the PHS MoU Group Chairman, presided over the meeting. In the opening of the meeting, Dr. Murakami congratulated the launch of PCT service in Bangkok. He also reported the introduction of PHS-WLL systems into Thailand, Zimbabwe and other countries, as well as approval of PHS business in Bangladesh, in addition to the recovery of PHS business in Japan. He was followed by Mr. Dirdjo and Mr. Toyoda, who gave congratulatory speeches (see below).

WG Activities

The proceedings began with introduction of contributors and their contributions to the fiscal 1999 special budget allocated for intensified PHS promotions. This was followed by Dr. Murakami’s expression of thanks toward the contributors. Mr. Masaaki Hirose, Secretary General of PHS MoU Group, then reported on the overall activities being carried out by the Group.
After that, WG Chairmen reported on their respective WG activities. Mr. Takao Kashiwamura, Technical WG (TWG) Chairman, spoke on their activities including the compilation of ISDN interface specifications for PHS-WLL systems. Mr. Mitsuaki Ishikura, Business WG (BWG) Vice-Chairman, explained the business activities that involve PHS-WLL, private PHS and other new PHS services being carried out by PHS MoU Group members. He also outlined the “Study Report of System Comparison between PHS-WLL and CDMA [IS-95]-WLL (Study Report-BWG-8)” compiled by BWG.
Mr. Fumio Uno, Promotion WG (PWG) Chairman, reported on the popularity of the PHS MoU Group website (http://www.phsmou.org) designed by the WG that has recorded many hits from around the world. Mr. Uno then showed a PHS promotional video entitled “PHS Today,” produced by PWG. Finally, Mr. Ishikura, concurrently the Chairman of Next Generation PHS Study WG (NWG), made a report on the basic concept of PHS in the future.
Following this, some participants raised questions and requests concerning these reports as well as other WG activities. All participants agreed to continue deliberations on these issues. Dr. Murakami then declared the General Meeting adjourned.

PHS Seminar

Following the General Meeting, seminars on PHS were set up to introduce the current status of PHS services in China, Japan and Thailand. The highlights of the seminars are as follows:

1) “PCT Service in Thailand” by Mr. Pakpong Akaniwan and Mr. Pitak Dechavichitlert, TelecomAsia Corporation Public Co. Ltd./Asia Wireless Communication Co., Ltd. (AWC)

Mr. Akaniwan and Mr. Dechavichitlert outlined the PCT service, subscriber profile, current PCT traffic volume and so on. They also introduced their plans to expand the service coverage and to launch such new services as short message service. In addition, they proposed activity plans that should be implemented respectively by PHS carriers, vendors as well as PHS MoU Group from their own standpoint, to continue sustaining PHS service in the future.

2) “PAS in China” by Mr. Hong Liang Lu, UTStarcom Inc.

Mr. Lu reported that PHS-technology based Personal Access System (PAS) has been increasingly introduced into Chinese cities. PAS is known to be very quick to be put into operation. He introduced the case of Xian City, which has proven the advantage of PAS: construction began the next month from the signing of the contract in August 1999, and before long the PAS system was up and running, accommodating a couple of thousand subscriptions. In the first three months, the number of subscribers surpassed 50,000.

3) “Latest PHS Service in Japan” by Mr. Yoshiki Chika, DDI Tokyo Pocket Telephone, Inc.

Mr. Chika reported on the recent enhancement in Japanese PHS service, such as nationwide coverage of 64 kbit/s data communications service as well as achievement of high-speed hand-over. He also presented such future plans as realization of 128 kbit/s data communications services and of very economical call charges through incorporation of packet-data communications into the PHS service.

Congratulatory speeches (Excerpts)

Mr. Sasmito Dirdjo, Director General of Department of Communications, DGPT, Indonesia

The existence of PHS MoU Group has great meaning for the development of PHS in Indonesia, especially after the visit of PHS MoU Group to Indonesia in order to discuss several problems faced by Indonesian PHS operators. I also would like to inform you of service deployment from the perspective of the issuance of regional PHS operator licenses, and we hope that PHS service will be launched in Indonesia soon. Therefore, the continued support from PHS MoU Group is strongly needed so that PHS in Indonesia could immediately follow the success of PHS in Thailand.
And on this occasion I also would like to extend congratulation to the PHS industry in Thailand for successfully launching their service several weeks ago. Ladies and gentlemen, PHS technology was born as a result of tough competition between technologies. I think we are convinced that PHS technology is good and becoming better, from the standpoint of the customer.
Moreover, we hope the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications could continue to support the development of PHS business especially in developing countries, through government-to-government cooperation. We look out to share our success story upon implementing PHS service in Indonesia.

Mr. Yasumitsu Toyoda, Second Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Thailand