On November 12, Disney Japan and Softbank announced that they will be partnering on a new venture to introduce Disney branded cell phone service, handsets, and content into the Japanese market in spring 2008.
This is an interesting development inasmuch as Disney has stated it plans to discontinue its cell phone operations in the US by the end of this year. It's also a landmark in the way the business will be operated in Japan. Rather than set up its own infrastructure, Disney will be leasing a portion of the Softbank network. Apparently, this is the first time anybody has organized a cell phone service in Japan based on a MVNO reseller model. The companies will jointly develop content and handsets and the business will be operated under the name "Disney Mobile."
Given the ever-present popularity of things cute in Japan, and the broad appreciation for all things Disney, the idea of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck phones and services is certainly feasible, perhaps more so than in any other country. After all, it is not at all unusual to see Japanese adults carrying Disney-branded bank cards or office supplies, and many Japanese are already using Disney phone straps and downloading Disney mobile content to their existing DoCoMo and au phones.
