Japan Communications has successfully negotiated a deal with NTT DoCoMo to launch what it describes as the world’s first MVNO based on an interconnection arrangement. According to Telegeography, which cites a report in Japan’s Nikkei Electronics, Japan Communications president Seiji Sanda said the company has reached an interconnection agreement with DoCoMo to offer MVNO services on the network operator’s 3G FOMA network. Unlike the usual MVNO model, which involves renting capacity from a network on a wholesale basis, the interconnection model allows MVNOs to launch their own proprietary handsets on the network. “Thanks to legislation and other factors, it has finally become possible to realise [an interconnect] business model,” Sanda said. The company began talks with DoCoMo in March this year.

The company has already struck a deal with Chinese supplier ZTE to deliver 3G-based datacards. Telegeography notes that these datacards will form the basis of Japan Communications’ initial data-only offering. It will later expand its portfolio to include smartphones, PCs with built-in communication modules, mobile Internet devices and devices based on Google’s Android operating system, the report says.