Press Releases（Archive）
WiMAX*1 High-speed Mobile Internet Can Now be Used in Some Stations, Such As on Yamanote Line
East Japan Railway Company
February 3, 2009
On February 26, 2009, JR East will launch a communication environment that enables Internet connection via "UQ WiMAX"*2 in stations such as those on the Yamanote Line.
This communication environment has been developed in 44 stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, such as on the concourse inside the ticket gates and on underground platforms where radio wave reception is difficult. This will enable our customers to use WiMAX high-speed mobile Internet connections.
With the objective of increasing customer satisfaction through IT technology, in its "JR East 2020 Vision – i do mu –", JR East positioned WiMAX as one technology that could release the latent value of the JR East "network".
In response, the "UQ WiMAX" Internet connection service, provided by UQ Communications Inc., will be launched on February 26, 2009. To construct this network, we will install about 160 WiMAX indoor base stations in the 44 Tokyo metropolitan area stations shown in the figure below. This makes WiMAX Internet connections available even on the concourse inside the ticket gates and on underground platforms where it is difficult for radio waves to reach from the outside.
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see attached diagram [PDF/362KB] |
44 stations to be equipped with WiMAX communication environment
Outline of WiMAX Indoor Base Stations Inside Railway Stations
*1 What is WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)?
- A global standard, next-generation wireless communication technology that can transfer large volumes at high speed.
- One feature is its compatibility even with fast-moving objects such as trains.
- UQ Communications Inc. (*JR East is an investor) provides WiMAX Internet connection services throughout Japan.
*2 About "UQ WiMAX", provided by UQ Communications Inc.
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"UQ WiMAX" is the name of the data communication service using WiMAX that is provided by UQ Communications Inc.
- The maximum communication speed (downstream) is 40 Mbps. (This is the maximum value under the technical specifications and does not indicate the actual communication speed.)
- Initially, the service area covers the 23 wards of Tokyo and the cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki.
- For the initial introductory period from February 26 to June 30, 2009, there will be no basic usage fee.
For details on the service, see today’s (February 3, 2009) news release from UQ Communications Inc.
（http://www.uqwimax.jp/)
< UQ Communications Inc. >
| Representative Director | : Takashi Tanaka |
| Head Office | : Shinagawa East One Tower, Konan 2-16-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Founded | : August 29, 2007 |
| Capital and Capital Reserves | : 17 billion yen |
| Main Shareholders | : KDDI CORPORATION, Intel Capital Corporation, |
| East Japan Railway Company, KYOCERA Corporation, | |
| Daiwa Securities Group Inc., | |
| The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. |
