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July 8, 2008

DoCoMo is announcing that it will start selling Research In Motion's BlackBerry smartphones and service to individuals and small businesses starting August 1st.

For the past two years, the wireless carrier has been selling BlackBerrys to corporate clients beginning with English-only service and then launching the service in Japan last year in that country's native language.

DoCoMo's new service will offer a direct connection to the Internet without the need for a dedicated server.

The first BlackBerry handset available to individuals will be the 8707-H

It will be sold through the company's Website, corporate business division and DoCoMo Shops' corporate business sections. The BlackBerry Internet Service will cost $28.28 per month, with FOMA basic monthly fee and normal packet charges applied separately.

DoCoMo said it will demonstrate the new BlackBerry Internet Service during Wireless Japan 2008 in from July 22nd to July 24.

DoCoMo also added that it was offering the smartphones and service in response to requests “from individuals, as well as small to midsize businesses, who want a simple, convenient, low-cost system for Web browsing and e-mail.”

DoCoMo also will launch a discount packet-billing plan beginning August 31 called the BlackBerry Data Transmission Package.

The new service will enable users to transmit up to 80,000 packets of data per month for a flat charge of $15.60. Data exceeding this limit will be charged at less than a penny per packet.

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Source: NTT DoCoMo.