Commercial PHS services began in Japan July 1995. Presently, there are three PHS carriers, ASTEL group, DDI Pocket group, and NTT Personal group, offering PHS mobile communications services. Their total subscribers reached about 4 million as of September 1996.
The introduction of PHS service is also becoming increasingly active around the world. In Singapore and Thailand, the Indoor System is already in operation. In Bangkok, Thailand, PHS mobile communications services will begin around middle of next year by Telecom Asia. In Hong Kong and Australia, the technical standards for the PHS Indoor System are now being formulated, and Hong Kong’s franchising service is now in the authorization process. In Indonesia, a PHS pilot project is being implemented, while Thailand has already decided to introduce PHS into the Fixed Network Operator, and the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Argentina, Columbia, Guatemala, and Uruguay will introduce it as a Wireless Local Loop system.
Moreover, PHS field trials are now being carried out in China and Malaysia. In India, preparations are being made for PHS Wireless Local Loop field trials.