i-mode features

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Bouygues' deal with DoCoMo is set to last for 10 years, allowing it access to patents, know-how and technology. The price tag has not been made public.

The company, part of French conglomerate Bouygues, has said it will bid for licences to offer advanced, high-speed data mobile services when the latest auction begins next month.

The mobile operator opted not to pay the high costs of third generation licenses during last year's auction.

Bouygues will, at least initially, source handsets from the Japanese suppliers which keep DoCoMo's service in business.

European access

Bouygues, with 98% coverage of the French population and 6.6 million subscribers, is not the first European company to use i-mode to test the water for advanced services.

KPN in the Netherlands and E-Plus in Germany, both of which have DoCoMo as a minority stakeholder, have both launched i-mode already.

All three operators hope to succeed where the rest of Europe has failed, in converting mobile phone owners to using data services on a day-to-day basis.

WAP, the prevalent data standard in Europe, has proved too slow, and operators' unwillingness to allow third parties to make serious revenues from services they offer has drastically limited what customers can access.

I-mode, on the other hand, has gained strength in Japan from a model whereby DoCoMo collects money through the phone bill and then gives most of it back to the service provider.

KPN and E-Plus are copying the model, and Bouygues is expected to follow suit.

DoCoMo says it is talking to potential partners in Spain and Italy as well.