TOKYO, JAPAN, May 25, 2001 --- NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that from May 30, 2001 the company will begin distributing 4,500 mobile phones equipped for third-generation (3G) services to monitors participating in the introductory phase of the company's "FOMA" 3G service rollout. Applicants selected to serve as monitors will be notified by May 29, 2001.

NTT DoCoMo had initially planned to distribute 4,000 mobile phones, but later decided to raise the number to 4,500 after it received 147,000 applications. The 4,500 total includes 2,000 mobile phones for individual monitors and 2,500 mobile phones for about 700 corporate monitors (companies).

The breakdown includes 1,400 standard phones, an upgraded version of the current i-mode cellular phone featuring sound quality similar to that of a fixed-line phone, 1,200 "visual" phones equipped with a video screen, and 1,900 "data-card" phones for dedicated mobile high-speed data transmission.

Individual monitors will be provided with 600 standard phones, 700 "visual" phones and 700 "data-card" phones. Corporate monitors will use a total of 800 standard phones, 500 "visual" phones and 1,200 "data-card" phones.

Although distribution of the mobile phones will begin from May 30, 2001, the "visual" model will be delivered no later than the end of June 2001. The model required a debugging of its embedded software (completed) and is now undergoing final re-testing.