Japan's DoCoMo sells its AT&T shares

TOKYO, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Japan's NTT DoCoMo, one of the world's largest wireless phone companies, is selling its 16 percent stake in AT&T Wireless.

The sale, to Cingular Wireless, means NTT DoCoMo is pulling out entirely of the U.S. wireless phone market, Kyodo news service reported Tuesday.

Earlier Tuesday, Cingular won a bidding war against Britain's Vodafone for ownership of AT&T by making a $41.5 billion cash offer.

NTT DoCoMo, the wireless arm of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., purchased the 16 percent stake in AT&T Wireless for $9.8 billion in January 2001 to create a foothold in the lucrative U.S. market.