Sony to Launch TV for NTT’s L-Mode Service

Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)–Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will in mid-July roll out a portable television set that will offer access to Japan’s “L-mode” fixed-phone Internet service.

With the launch of a Sony-brand product, NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp., operators of the L-mode service, will aim to revamp the business, which has proved less popular than expected.

NTT East and NTT West, the two regional units of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. , had aimed to attract 1.5 million subscribers in the first year of the L-mode service, launched in June 2001.

However, there were only 410,000 subscribers as of June 15.

Sony’s “airboard” TV set, equipped with a 12.1-inch liquid crystal display panel, will carry a price tag of 130,000 yen.

The L-mode service, a fixed-phone version of NTT DoCoMo Inc.’s i- mode wireless Internet service, enables users to access the Internet via telephone sets equipped with small screens.