Docomo and Docomo Asia to trial bus-locater service in Singapore

TOKYO, JAPAN, March 5, 2019 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. and NTT DOCOMO ASIA Pte. Ltd. announced today that they have begun a trial online service to update parents and kindergarten staff about the locations of kindergarten buses on Singapore's roadways. The service is based on DOCOMO's Location NetTM service.

The trial is being conducted from March 5 to 15 in collaboration with Japanese Kindergarten Singapore Pte. Ltd., and Konohana International Pte. Ltd., which manages Konohana Kindergarten.

In Singapore, school buses are a common and safe mode of transportation for kindergarten children. However, there are frequent pick up and drop off delays due to traffic jams caused by sudden cloudbursts, roadway construction and detours. Such delays create burdens for parents waiting with/for their children at bus stops, and for kindergarten staff who must handle frequent inquiries from concerned parents.

During the trial, the school buses will transmit location information via a mobile network to the Location Net server, which parents and kindergarten employees will access via smartphones loaded with compatible Google Chrome or Safari browsers.

Location Net service is one of many solutions DOCOMO has created through its TOPGUNTM project, where hybrid teams, which include customers and the company's R&D and corporate divisions, are developing practical and innovative solutions to meet specific needs.

Based on insights gained from the trial in Singapore, DOCOMO and DOCOMO ASIA will seek to promote Location Net in the greater Asian market.