JAPANESE

History (former Ymobile Corporation)

[Notes]
  • *
    Ymobile Corporation, SoftBank BB Corp. and SoftBank Telecom Corp. merged into SoftBank Mobile Corp. (currently SoftBank Corp.) on April 1, 2015.
  • *
    This page is current as of the end of March 2015.

1994 - 2000

July 1994 Established DDI Pocket Planning Inc.
Nov. 1994 DDI Pocket Planning Inc. transferred to an operating company and established the DDI Pocket Telephone Group, consisting of nine companies.
Jan. 1995 DDI Pocket obtained type l telecommunications license and radio license for 1.9GHz band (PHS).
July 1995 DDI Pocket commenced PHS Service in Hokkaido and Tokyo.
Oct. 1995 DDI Pocket commenced PHS Service nationwide.
Nov. 1996 DDI Pocket commenced Pmail, Japan's first direct transmission mail service.
Dec. 1998 DDI Pocket commenced Email, an electronic mail transmitting and receiving service.
DDI Pocket commenced Information Service, Japan's first content service.
Feb. 1999 DDI Pocket commenced Character Phone, a service for transmitting and receiving text, and handwritten characters and graphics.
Sept. 1999 DDI Pocket launched Visual Phone VP-210, world's first mobile videophone.
Nov. 1999 Established eAccess Ltd.
Jan. 2000 Nine companies of DDI Pocket merged and established DDI Pocket Inc.
Oct. 2000 eAccess commenced ADSL commercial service.

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2001 - 2010

Aug. 2001 DDI Pocket commenced AirH (flat-rate plan), Japan's first flat-rate mobile data communication service.
Sept. 2001 DDI Pocket commenced Wireless IP Connection Service, Japan's first MVNO service.
June 2002 eAccess completed acquisition of Japan Telecom's consumer ADSL business.
Oct. 2003 eAccess listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers.
Apr. 2004 DDI Pocket AirH achieved 1,000,000 subscribers.
May 2004 DDI Pocket launched AirH PHONE (AH-K3001V) with Japan's first full browser.
July 2004 eAccess completed acquisition of AOL Japan's ISP business.
Oct. 2004 DDI Pocket became independent from KDDI with capital participation of Carlyle Group.
Nov. 2004 eAccess listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section.
Jan. 2005 Established EMOBILE Ltd.
Feb. 2005 DDI Pocket changed its company name to WILLCOM, Inc.
May 2005 WILLCOM commenced WILLCOM Flat-Rate Plan, Japan's first flat-rate service for mobile voice calls.
Nov. 2005 eAccess obtained a W-CDMA commercial license in the 1.7GHz band from MIC.
Dec. 2005 WILLCOM launched W-ZERO3, Japan's first cell phone with VGA LCD and Windows OS.
May 2006 EMOBILE completed over 360 billion yen equity and debt financing.
Mar. 2007 EMOBILE commenced its HSDPA 3.6Mbps Mobile Data Service “EM Mobile Broadband” in the metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
July 2007 WILLCOM commenced W-VALUE SELECT, the installment/discount service.
Dec. 2007 EMOBILE commenced Japan's first HSDPA 7.2Mbps mobile data service.
WILLCOM obtained a license for 2.5GHz band (XGP).
Mar. 2008 EMOBILE commenced nationwide voice services.
Nov. 2008 EMOBILE achieved 1,000,000 subscribers.
Mar. 2009 EMOBILE and SoftBank Mobile jointly provided mobile broadband services.
Apr. 2009 WILLCOM commenced WILLCOM XGP service for specified areas.
EMOBILE commenced HSUPA service with a maximum uplink speed of 5.8Mbps in metropolitan areas.
June 2009 eAccess merged with ACCA Networks Co.,Ltd.
EMOBILE obtained a license of the 3.9 Generation Mobile Telecommunication System “LTE” from the MIC.
July 2009 EMOBILE commenced Japan's first HSPA+ 21Mbps mobile data service.
Sept. 2009 WILLCOM commenced turnaround ADR procedures.
Oct. 2009 WILLCOM commenced WILLCOM XGP high-speed mobile data communication service.
Nov. 2009 EMOBILE achieved 2,000,000 subscribers.
EMOBILE launched “Pocket WiFi”, an 3G All-in-One Mobile Wi-Fi Router.
Feb. 2010 WILLCOM filed a petition for commencement of corporate rehabilitation proceedings.
Mar. 2010 WILLCOM received an order of commencement of corporate rehabilitation proceedings.
July 2010 eAccess Ltd. entered into a business combination with EMOBILE Ltd. and makes EMOBILE Ltd. its wholly owned subsidiary.
Aug. 2010 WILLCOM singed a sponsorship contract with SoftBank Corp.
Nov. 2010 WILLCOM received confirmation of rehabilitation plan.
Dec. 2010 EMOBILE commenced DC-HSDPA service with a maximum downlink speed of 42Mbps.
WILLCOM transferred its XGP business to Wireless City Planning Inc.
SoftBank Corp. acquired all WILLCOM shares.
WILLCOM commenced Dareto Demo Teigaku (flat-rate with anyone) service.

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2011 - 2014

Jan. 2011 EMOBILE achieved 3,000,000 subscribers.
Mar. 2011 eAccess Ltd. merged with EMOBILE Ltd.
Aug. 2011 WILLCOM's Dareto Demo Teigaku (flat-rate with anyone) service achieved 1,000,000 subscribers.
Mar. 2012 eAccess commenced “EMOBILE LTE” Next-Generation Mobile Communications Service with a maximum downlink speed of 75Mbps.
eAccess achieved 4,000,000 subscribers of EMOBILE.
WILLCOM achieved a record-high 4,659,100 subscribers.
June 2012 WILLCOM launched its first Android smartphone DIGNO DUAL.
July 2012 WILLCOM's Dareto Demo Teigaku (flat-rate with anyone) service achieved 2,000,000 subscribers.
Sept. 2012 WILLCOM achieved 5,000,000 subscribers.
Jan. 2013 eAccess and SoftBank Corp. Completed Share Exchange.
July 2013 WILLCOM received an order for termination of rehabilitation proceedings.
June 2014 eAccess and WILLCOM merged.
July 2014 Changed company name to Ymobile Corporation
Aug. 2014 Commenced Y!mobile Service.