Japan and China are planning to conduct a joint experiment on a new generation Internet-capable mobile phone for high-speed data communications between the two countries, Kyodo news service reported Sunday, citing Japanese telecom ministry officials.

The three-year project aimed at promoting better Asian information technology systems will begin in December and use the Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6, Kyodo also quoted the officials as saying.

The officials of the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry of Japan said the IT experiment will test a fourth-generation (4G) mobile phone capable of data communication comparable to speeds using fiber-optic cables, the agency reported.

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

The article noted that 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 prepare to explore the future potential of the Chinese market in the field.

The project will involve testing the mobile phone for capabilities such as creating data content on Chinese cities, building a database on Chinese businesses and facilitating intercultural communication using the technology of translating between the Japanese and Chinese languages, the officials said.

Kyodo also quoted the officials as saying that Japan, which has a lead over North American and European countries in terms of IPv6-related technology, is hoping to make the technology a global norm.

A number of universities and private-sector companies will take part starting from the initial stages of the project, including Kyoto University and Fujitsu Ltd. from Japan and Peking University from China, they said.

A senior ministry official expressed hope the experiment would lead to an expansion of IT-related business opportunities between Japan and China, Kyodo reported. The two countries agreed in April to cooperate on IT technology.

(Shenzhen Daily November 25, 2003)