KDDI Corp. said Monday it will start a new service in January in which its handsets can be used as smart tickets for trains operated by East Japan Railway Co.
A similar project targeting a January launch has already been announced by NTT DoCoMo Inc. With KDDI's announcement, the country's two largest mobile phone carriers will start the "Mobile Suica" service at the same time.
"Users will be able to recharge train cards anytime and anywhere. And they can buy commuter passes without visiting ticket centers," Mutsutake Otsuka, president of JR East, told a news conference.