Change is in the air

摘要

The law of unintended consequences certainly works in strange ways. Japan's mobile-phone industry is experiencing a bout of unprecedented competition-but not for the reasons most people expected. Something called "mobile number portability" was introduced in October, making Japan the last of the developed nations to let its citizens keep their mobile-phone numbers when they switch from one operator to another. As elsewhere, the aim was to encourage competition and reduce prices by giving users more choice.