Japan cell phone demand tapering off

TOKYO, June 7 (UPI) -- The number of new cell phone registrations in Japan hit a record low in May, the Electronic Communication Industry Association said Monday.

The absolute number of new cell phone contracts signed in the latest month reached 320,800, the lowest number posted since the association started tracking the number of new cell phone number contracts in January 1996.

To date, 64.4 percent of the overall population has a cell phone, but the slowdown in demand for new contracts may signal a decline in the mobile telecommunications industry, the association said.

That marks a sharp contrast with neighboring China, which should see about 60 million new cell phone registrations this year alone, the association said.