Japan wants to boost the MVNO market

Japan seems to want to boost the MVNO market, as the country’s regulator called for mobile operators to disclose their network leasing prices. The regulator has reportedly also asked smaller players like eMobile, Willcom, and UQ Communications to reveal their prices as well.

The move is designed to stimulate competition in the market, which continues to be dominated by three largest operators – NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM), KDDI and Softbank (OTCPK: SFTBF).

In most markets, however, the wholesale rates that mobile network operators charge MVNO partners on their network are not made public.

According to analysts spoken to by Reuters, the move could create a market for Internet service providers to launch mobile data services, a market that is at the moment deemed as largely untapped. On the other hand, analysts are sceptical that the price disclosures will tempt foreign mobile firms to enter the highly-demanding Japanese market.

Disney Mobile, which launched in Japan earlier this year on Softbank’s network, is one of the few MVNOs in the country to offer both voice and data services.

[Via: Reuters]