NTT DoCoMo has announced the launch of Xi, the first ultra-high-speed wireless connectivity service in Japan based on LTE (Long Term Evolution). Scheduled to launch on December 24, 2010, Xi will have a maximum download speed of 75 Mbps (roughly ten times faster than DoCoMo’s FOMA 3G service). Voice calls through Xi will become possible sometime within the fiscal year starting in April 2011, when DoCoMo will begin launching LTE-compatible mobile phones. Xi service will first be available in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas, with other major cities and regions to be added progressively. DoCoMo will start selling Xi data terminals for connection to mobile computers, beginning with the USB-type L-02C (see pictures).