For DDI POCKET, this international roaming service is the second case next to Taipei (refer to PHS MoU Newsletter No.39), Taiwan and same as Taipei, not only voice but also data communications is available. What is the most pleasing point to the international roaming service users is this data communications availability.

   The traffic congestion has become a big social problem in Bangkok. Actually when I visited there, it took 30 - 40 minutes or sometimes almost an hour to move only 2 km in a crow line by car. It would be comfortable if you could sleep in an air-conditioned car, however, it's rather painful for a move on business. The movement takes time so that many people are apt to finish their work in a car instead of an office. Wireless communications is an indispensable tool for such case.

   Businessmen who visit Bangkok may possibly be confused to know that less than half of the scheduled work can be finished due to the unexpected traffic congestion. Just in such case, this international roaming service would be most preferable. At the moment of arriving at the airport, voice and data communications by the PHS terminal used in Japan become available. In addition to the basic Internet access by the PHS terminal with notebook PC, e-mailing and website browsing by stand-alone PHS terminal is also available. Further, replying by telephone to urgent mails received by the PHS terminal would be another possibility.
   It's general for an overseas business trip that an Internet access is to be made from the hotel.
   I think that the typical working pattern would be to finish visiting partner companies, customers in the daytime and return to the hotel late at night after supper. Moreover mail checking for a day, writing return mails etc. may force to delay the bedtime well after midnight. It's really hard for such a precious overseas business trip. However, DDI POCKET's international roaming service enables its users to check mails in the daytime and if they send reports from cafe or car in their free time after the meeting, they can also enjoy their private time without thinking of business.

   In my case as well, unfortunately it was a business trip so that I wasn't allowed to easily enjoy sightseeing with my PHS turned off. Naturally, I was busy with checking mails, contacting concerned parties for urgent matters on the telephone, returning mails for not so urgent matters etc. I realized that I couldn't do anything without the PHS terminal available for international roaming service though my trip for the purpose of covering the launch of the very service.

   There I met with several Japanese media representatives to explain about this new service and as a result the same comments were made by them as well.

   Many people were actually impressed with an availability of the Japanese website browsing and e-mailing in Japanese by stand-alone PHS terminal. And there was also a comment that the possibility of its usage specific to the company based in Bangkok such as an online coupon issuing service, advertisement distribution service etc. which are already natural in Japan will expand as the users increase.

   Japan origin PHS service's possibilities are expanding further. And there are still many challenges for DDI POCKET such as to establish an image of Thailand where PHS service is available in addition to the images mentioned at the beginning. Further, I'll try to have another chance to describe like this article about the PHS in the future.

Reference:

Roaming Service Rates
(1) Basic Daily Rates
     120yen ($1.14) per day and limited to 1,200 yen ($11.43) per month

(2) Tariff

Cases			Rates
Sending	Domestic call in Thailand	Local call in Bangkok (PHS & Fixed)	40yen/min ($0.38/min)
		A call to out of Bangkok (Fixed) and mobile phone	80yen/min ($0.76/min)
		Internet Access	40yen/min ($0.38/min)
	International call from Thailand	To Japan	120yen/min ($1.14/min)
		To other nations than Japan	320yen/min ($3.05/min)
Receiving	Direct dialing to the Roaming Number (Receiving by the Roaming Number)		Free
	Dialing to DDI POCKETfs Number (Forwarding to the Roaming Number)		200yen/min ($1.90/min)

* E-mail and website access fee for international roaming are to be based on "Internet Access Service".
(Exchange Rate : $1.00 = 105yen)