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Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Dec 22, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: When communication in Japan went mobile

The launch of a pager known as the Pocket Bell marked the birth of texting and mobile communications in Japan.
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2018

T-Mobile, Sprint say merger would help U.S. beat China in 5G race

T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. said on Sunday they had agreed to a $26 billion all-stock deal and believed they could win over skeptical regulators because the merger would create thousands of jobs and help the United States beat China to creating a next-generation mobile network.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2014

France's Iliad challenges SoftBank's Sprint for control of T-Mobile

French telecommunications company Iliad makes a surprise offer for T-Mobile, setting up a bidding war with Softbank's newly acquired U.S. carrier Sprint.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 2, 2014

Y!mobile to target smartphone users

Yahoo Japan prepares to launch a cellphone carrier in June that could pit it against parent SoftBank in the hunt for smartphone users.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2017

In hunt for deal, Sprint said to look at options beyond T-Mobile

Wall Street is betting Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. will soon revive talks on a blockbuster merger, but a recent surge in demand for wireless assets has Sprint exploring other ways to unleash value.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2018

Trump looks to ban China Mobile from U.S. market over security concerns

The Trump administration moved against letting China Mobile Ltd. enter the U.S. telecommunications market, saying the government-owned company would pose national security risks.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 1, 2020

Japan's mobile phone carriers brace for further intervention by Suga

Even before becoming prime minister, Suga had intervened in the cell phone market in an attempt to lower fees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
May 19, 2018

SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son risks U.S. security shackles with T-Mobile

SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son has battled for years to merge T-Mobile U.S. Inc. with his Sprint Corp. Now that he finally has a deal, he risks having his hands tied by a secretive U.S. government panel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 6, 2014

Son's bid for T-Mobile faces huge antitrust hurdle

Masayoshi Son, head of SoftBank Corp. and Sprint Corp., won't be able to ride the regulatory coattails of pending U.S. telecommunications deals if he decides to buy T-Mobile US Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2020

SoftBank to sell slice of T-Mobile in a $21 billion deal

The transaction is part of a broader $42 billion push by SoftBank to unload assets to finance stock buybacks and pay down debt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2018

Air hockey-playing robot shows how Huawei haunts T-Mobile's Sprint deal

Huawei Technologies Co. and wireless carrier SoftBank Group Corp.' close business dealings could be an issue in T-Mobile U.S. Inc.'s proposed purchase of SoftBank's Sprint Corp.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2020

T-Mobile's fate rests with judge after last arguments in Sprint trial

T-Mobile US Inc.'s bid to buy wireless rival Sprint Corp. is in a judge's hands after the companies made their final plea for him to reject a state lawsuit seeking to block the deal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2019

T-Mobile outpaces estimates for profit and mobile-subscriber gains

T-Mobile US Inc. posted subscriber gains that exceeded analysts' predictions and raised its customer forecast for the year, once again outpacing larger rivals Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 1, 2015

Overuse of mobile gadgets hampers students' ability to study, sleep

Excessive use of mobile phones causes students to fare poorly in elementary, junior high and high school, not only because it makes them lose their concentration due to a lack of sleep, but also because it apparently compromises what they have studied, researchers say.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 16, 2020

SoftBank confirms it is considering deal to sell T-Mobile shares

SoftBank said it may sell some of its stake through private placements or public offerings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 6, 2019

SoftBank has a big Sprint problem on its hands if T-Mobile takeover falls through

No one has more riding on Sprint Corp.'s $26.5 billion sale to T-Mobile US Inc. than SoftBank Group and its founder, Masayoshi Son.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Nov 6, 2017

SoftBank's Masayoshi Son faces tough choices after dropping Sprint and T-Mobile tieup plan

Masayoshi Son, celebrated Japanese deal-maker, just negotiated himself into a corner.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2017

Sprint's revived merger discussions with T-Mobile show urgent hunt for deal

Sprint Corp.'s resumed talks about a potential merger with T-Mobile US Inc., being held at the same time as discussions with cable companies, shows the lengths billionaire Masayoshi Son is taking to build scale for a wireless carrier facing increasing competition in the U.S.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2021

Rakuten cuts mobile fees for light users to maintain edge over bigger rivals

The firm now says it will lower the cost depending on the amount of data used within the space of a month, saying the fee will even be free for particularly light users.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 21, 2019

In break with FCC, U.S. Justice Department leans against T-Mobile takeover of Sprint

The Justice Department is leaning against approving T-Mobile U.S. Inc.'s proposed takeover of Sprint Corp., according to a source familiar with the review, even after the companies won the backing of the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2015

SoftBank veers from iPhone in shift to embrace all mobile devices

Since the iPhone debuted in Japan in 2008, SoftBank Mobile Corp. has been heavily promoting Apple smartphones, driving the growth of the telecom giant led by billionaire Masayoshi Son ever higher.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 6, 2015

Desktop PC queries topped by Google mobile searches in 10 countries

Google Inc. users in the U.S., Japan and other key countries have shifted more than half their Internet searches to handheld devices from personal computers, driving the company's investments in features for mobile gadgets.
A Rakuten Mobile branch in Tokyo. Rakuten is set for another tough year in 2024, at a time when rivals are on the attack with competitive pricing and reward campaigns.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023

Rakuten's mobile misadventure: from ambitious plan to millstone

Founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani's vision of a low-cost network using cloud-based software and cheap hardware did not pan out.
Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said that the mobile company now has more than 7 million subscribers, and is seeking to hit 10 million subscribers next.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2024

Money-losing Rakuten Mobile rolls out new 700 MHz service

The new offering, which is being introduced incrementally, will improve connectivity, including in densely populated areas, it says.
The exact timing of the roll out of Rakuten Mobile's commercial satellite-to-mobile service is uncertain, but the plans for coverage encompass mountainous and remote areas across Japan.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 16, 2024

Rakuten plans satellite mobile service across Japan in 2026

The service, to be rolled out in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, will be directly accessible by regular smartphones and won’t require a terminal.
SoftBank Group booked a profit for the December quarter after four straight quarters of losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 8, 2024

SoftBank swings to profit lifted by T-Mobile windfall

SoftBank recorded its first profit after four straight quarters of losses, backed by a rebound of the Vision Fund and gains from T-Mobile shares.
Rakuten logged its fifteenth consecutive quarter in the red due to losses at its mobile service network unit.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024

Rakuten logs 15th quarter of losses on mobile woes despite record financial unit profit

While its number of mobile subscribers rose to 6.48 million at the end of March, average revenue per user increased only fractionally.
Since launching in 1961, the iconic Salone del Mobile furniture fair has firmly established Milan’s status as a leading force in the global design world
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 18, 2024

Salone del Mobile’s Maria Porro: ‘Italy and Japan share many things’

Maria Porro became the leading global design fair's first female and youngest-ever president when she was named to the position in 2021.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?