DoCoMo: 4G data plans first, phones later

Japan’s main mobile carrier, NTT DoCoMo, will launch 4G / LTE services in the second half of this year. The company will begin its 4G offering with data-only devices – dongles, data cards, etc. – and bring mobile phones online later.

DoCoMo says it has 20,000 base stations planned for Japan, giving coverage to 50% of the population by 2014.

Bonus Trivia: DoCoMo launched the first commercial 3G phone services waaay back in 2001.