NTT DoCoMo announced three prototype high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) handsets which are developed by Fujitsu, Motorola and NEC, respectively.

HSDPA is a packet-based data service with data transmission up to 8-10 Mbps (and 20 Mbps for MIMO systems) over a 5MHz bandwidth in WCDMA downlink, standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project.

The new technology can offer a theoretical maximum downlink speed of about almost 14Mbps. Although the prototype mobile phones have a maximum data transfer speed of 3.6Mbps, that is still 10 times faster than any other current 3G FOMA handsets.

After Samsung demonstrated the technology first, DoCoMo aims to start using HSDPA technology sometime between July and September in Japan.

DoCoMo expects HSDPA to facilitate powerful new services by enabling high-volume downloads and the viewing of highly rich content.

The handsets will be tested and demonstrated at the DoCoMo showing room at the 3GSM World Congress 2006 in Barcelona, Spain from February 13 to 16.