[Vodafone's J-Phone will be launching its comercial 3G service based on W-CDMA technology in Japan later this month.]

by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tokyo -- "After twice delaying a planned launch, Japan's J-Phone Corp is finally set to start commercial third-generation (3G) mobile phone services this month, testing the water for British parent Vodafone Group Plc.

Japan's third-largest mobile operator is expected to offer international roaming from the start to give itself a competitive edge over its two main rivals, who already offer 3G services, but in general it aims to build up services gradually, analysts say.

J-Phone has played its cards close to its chest prior to the launch, but analysts expect its service to feature international roaming to attract business customers while keeping other functions to a minimum initially.

J-Phone President Darryl Green has said the company planned to offer dual mode handsets that work both on the 3G network and the GSM (global system for mobile communication) network, which is widely used in Europe."

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