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Japan's Mobile Network Buckles Under Porn Demand

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 7, 2009 3:43 AM CDT

(Newser) – Japan's mammoth 3G wireless network is beginning to buckle as users download world-record amounts of porn, Bloomberg reports. Mobile carriers have been forced to restrict the heaviest users of their "unlimited plans" to prevent outages. Privacy laws prevent the firms from saying what is being downloaded, but porn providers say cell phone business is booming.

Experts predict phone porn will be a $5 billion business within a few years, and believe Japan's experience will be mirrored around the world as technology catches up. "Pornography will eventually open a debate about how carriers should modify their business model as data traffic swells,” said a Tokyo-based analyst. “It may prompt even tighter access restrictions.”

Japanese telecom giant DoCoMo has put limits on its unlimited plans as traffic threatens to bring down the network.
Japanese telecom giant DoCoMo has put limits on its "unlimited" plans as traffic threatens to bring down the network.   (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Japanese cell phone users are beginning to OD on porn.
Japanese cell phone users are beginning to OD on porn.   (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
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Whenever there is a new distribution method for adult content, adult content will go to that medium. It’s gone that way since cavemen drew adult pictures in the cave.
- Windsor Holden, analyst at Juniper Research

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
riffran
Jul 7, 2009 11:39 AM CDT
oh my!
NotEvsie
Jul 7, 2009 4:52 AM CDT
I would ask: "Who wants porn on their mobile phone ffs"..... but clearly the answer is "The Japanese"
Mad
Jul 7, 2009 4:44 AM CDT
Asian chicks are apparently only hot to non-Asian guys, whereas Asian guys seem really gone on Anime. Sad for all when cartoons rule real life. (Although, there is some mighty hot anime)

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