Japan and China are planning a joint experiment on a new generation of Internet-capable mobile phones for high-speed data transmissions between the two countries, telecommunications officials said Sunday.

The three-year project, aimed at promoting better Asian information technology systems, will begin next month and use Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), the officials said.

The officials of the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said the IT experiment will test a fourth-generation mobile phone capable of data communications comparable to speeds using fiber-optic cables.

The two countries will experiment on sending and receiving data via the mobile phones at speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, much faster than third-generation phones with speeds of up to 2.4 megabits per second.

The move is already prompting activities in the Japanese private sector, such as NTT DoCoMo Inc. opening an office in Beijing in a likely attempt to explore the future potential of the Chinese market in this field.

The project will involve testing the mobile phones for such capabilities as creating data content on Chinese cities, building a database on Chinese businesses and facilitating intercultural communications using language-translation technology, the officials said.

Japan, which leads North American and European countries in terms of IPv6-related technology, is hoping to make the technology a global norm, the officials said.

A number of universities and companies will take part starting with the project's initial stages, including Kyoto University, Fujitsu Ltd. and Beijing University, they said.