Fired by the ambition to spread its next-generation multimedia cellular systems across Europe, NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Tuesday that it will acquire 15 percent of Dutch-based cellular operator KPN Mobile N.V. for 500 billion yen.

DoCoMo has signed a memorandum of understanding with KPN Mobile and its parent firm, KPN N.V., for the deal, said NTT DoCoMo President Keiji Tachikawa at a press conference in Tokyo.

DoCoMo officials said they want to turn the new alliance into a "foothold" to spread its multimedia systems and services throughout Europe, pointing out that KPN already operates cellular phone services in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Ukraine and Indonesia that serve 10 million subscribers.