[registrars] More about mobile telephones; Summit Fever

["Robert F. Connelly" <rconnell@psi-japan.com>]

Dear Colleagues:

I've already written about the cell phones and the  personal hand sets 
(PHS).    But there's more to say.

There is a video phone option with the PHS sets.  The data transfer rates 
are very high, much higher than for a cell phone.

These video phones are heavily used in the construction field.  A foreman 
can go up in the scaffolding, hold the phone up to a weld and show it to 
the supervisors and inspectors in the construction office.

Another reason for wanting a PHS is that it can work wherever there is an 
antenna.  Coke and other beverage machines in subway stations have these 
facilities.  A subway passenger can pop out of his train, make a call from 
underground, jump on the next train (2 to 6 minutes) and be on his way.

NTT DoCoMo offers an option which can work in both environments, cellular 
and PHS.

Summit Fever.

NTT DoCoMo has rushed to market with an English option iMode phone -- the 
one which surfs the Internet.  These instruments will be given to the 
Summit delegates and their "Sherpas".  (What is a "Summit Sherpa"?  He or 
she is someone who guides the G-8 leader to the Summit).

The Summit will be held in Okinawa about 1,000 miles South of here on 21-23 
July.  However, expect a lot of activity and commotion in Tokyo, spilling 
over into Yokohama.  There are a bunch of other meetings before the Summit 
and they will be in Tokyo and Osaka. For example, meetings of the finance 
ministers.  I saw a sign up in front of the Diet this morning warning of 
restricted traffic from the 17th till the 24th.  There will be inspection 
sites all over the city where police pull you over and check your boot/trunk.

You'll see plenty of light blue busses with a white band abound the 
middle.  Don't board them!  They are police barracks.  The riot police will 
be deployed in major cities.

Fortunately, it is necessary to take out a permit to hold a "riot" in 
Japan.  None before 09:00 and none after 21:00.  Oh, there will also be 
large black "busses" with flags on them and command cars and jeeps with 
dreadfully loud sound equipment.  Those are the ultra right 
nationalists.  It'll be a great party;-}

See you soon.

Personal regards, BobC