TOKYO, JAPAN - NOKIA plans to launch a mobile phone service in Japan next spring, a move expected to intensify competition among Japanese cellphone carriers, Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday.

Finnish cellphone manufacturer Nokia is expected to use lines owned by Japan's biggest mobile phone carrier, NTT Docomo, under an arrangement called mobile virtual network operator, the paper said.

Nokia will first offer the service with high-end models to establish a strong brand, Mr Yomiuri said.

Nokia is the world's biggest handset maker but holds less than a 1 per cent market share in Japan. Major Japanese cellphone makers, such as Sharp, Matsushita Electric Industrial and NEC domnate the world's most advanced handset market. -- REUTERS