Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have developed a new communication system for vehicles that lets drivers exchange e-mail and make telephone calls without using their hands.
The companies said Tuesday that commercial introduction of the system, developed jointly by NTT and Honda R&D Co., may be as early as next year.
The system will be linked to FOMA -- NTT's nominal third-generation mobile phone service -- which was quietly launched by NTT's mobile arm NTT DoCoMo Inc. on Oct. 1.
FOMA, short for Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access, offers video downloads and high-speed data transfers six to 40 times faster than DoCoMo's existing Internet-capable i-mode handsets. FOMA also allows subscribers to use packet data communication, short message, voice mail, call-forwarding and call-waiting services.
Under the new vehicle communication system, for example, a driver will be able to read and reply vocally to e-mail without taking his or her hands off the steering wheel, the two companies said.
Communications will be halted automatically when the vehicle approaches a corner to help prevent the driver from becoming distracted.
The system will also provide information about restaurants and shops in the area the driver is going through, they said.