Connexion by Boeing and NTT DoCoMo, Inc, Japan’s leading mobile communications company, today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for negotiating an associate service provider agreement that would make the Connexion by BoeingSM real-time, high-speed Internet service available to NTT DoCoMo’s popular mZone? wireless LAN service users. Based on the terms of the agreement the availability is expected to begin around August 2004.

As part of the MOU, Connexion by Boeing and NTT DoCoMo will explore linking their respective networks, providing NTT DoCoMo’s mZone users with a seamless and simplified solution for accessing the full richness of the Internet when in flight.  Airline passengers who have an Mzone account will enter their user identification and password to access the Connexion by Boeing service, and they will be able to subsequently receive their billing for service access as an add-on to their existing Mzone bill. The companies will also consider jointly developing new in-flight wireless services for international passengers.

“We are very pleased to join with NTT DoCoMo in making Connexion by Boeing’s wireless broadband service more easily accessible for its Mzone users,” said Connexion by Boeing President Scott Carson. “Connexion by Boeing is proud to serve NTT DoCoMo’s mZone customers in making their air travel experience even more productive and enjoyable.”

In announcing the agreement, Kimio Tani, executive vice president and managing director of Mobile Multimedia Division of NTT DoCoMo commented, “NTT DoCoMo is promoting global mobility support, so we are delighted to cooperate with Connexion by Boeing to offer a convenient mobile environment to our customers in the air.”
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