Computerworld - Apple Inc. is close to signing iPhone deals with a pair of major Asian mobile carriers, according to reports out of Korea late last week.

NTT DoCoMo Inc. -- Japan's leading mobile service provider -- and Korea Telecom Freetel were linked to Apple in a story by the Telecoms Korea News Service on Friday (subscription required), said Fortune.com today.

DoCoMo had reportedly talked with Apple about signing up as an iPhone seller as long ago as December 2007, when analysts, including Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray & Co., bet that the rumors were on target. "We would say Japan is 90% likely [to have the iPhone] by the end of 2008," Munster said at the time.

Officially, Apple has only said it would introduce the iPhone to Asia this year, but it has not specified countries or launch dates. Unofficially, it's clear from recent carrier announcements that at least two Asian markets -- Singapore and the Philippines -- will be open to the iPhone before the end of the year.

DoCoMo boasts about 53 million mobile subscribers, of which 44.4 million use its 3G-based network; Korea Telecom Freetel has approximately 12 million subscribers.

The Japanese carrier's heavy reliance on 3G may play an important part in proving the reports true, since many analysts expect Apple to introduce one or more 3G-based iPhones next month, at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). CEO Steve Jobs will kick off WWDC the morning of June 9 with a keynote address, and is expected to use the stage to introduce the new smart phones, said analysts.

Read more about mobile and wireless in Computerworld's Mobile and Wireless Knowledge Center.

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

Apple

Additional Resources

WHITE PAPER

EFD vs. HDD - What You Need to Know

Enterprise flash drives provide a new Tier 0 storage layer capable of delivering high I/O performance at a very low latency. Proper use of EFDs in an Oracle environment can deliver increased performance compared to fibre channel drives. Read the recommendations for identification of the best DB components for EFDs.

WHITE PAPER

Gartner Research Report: Magic Quadrant for Application Delivery Controllers, 2009

The market for products to improve the delivery of application software over networks remains dynamic and innovative. Vendors focused on solving enterprises' most-pressing application problems have become the top players.

WHITE PAPER

Eight Criteria for Server Load Balancing

Server load balancers are a simple yet highly effective means to scale an application environment while ensuring its availability. Today's solutions should also address application performance and security. Read about the top eight criteria you should consider when choosing a server load balancer and how Citrix NetScaler meets those requirements.

What People Are Saying

4 comments | Add new

See all comments (4) | Add new

White Papers & Webcasts

How to Calculate ROI & TCO of Enterprise BlackBerry and iPhone Uses
Download Now

Accelerating Your Mobile Workers: Controlling the Uncontrollable
Today's workforce is truly mobile. Unlike the managed environment of the office LAN, remote users face many challenges to being productive while out...

eGuide: Enterprise Security
Smart Security Strategies for 2010. Read now!

Managing Laptops Outside the Office
Learn how you can reduce costs by tracking mobile computers no matter where they are located.

How to Improve Remote User Satisfaction and Maximize ROI by Using SSL VPNs
Download this white paper today!

Mobile U Webinar
Watch Now!

The New Mobile Order
Download Now

4G Ahead Video Program
Uncover the features and benefits of the two leading 4G technologies for enterprises considering future deployment.

WAN Application Delivery for Executives
Learn how to simplify server and application administration without creating performance problems for distributed users.

Horror stories: Managing IT Across Multiple Locations
How one extra sharp IT manager eliminates daily agony, hassle and repetition.

All White Papers | All Webcasts