Google starts Japanese news service

TOKYO: Google Inc., the world's No.1 Web search engine, has started a free Japanese-language news site for mobile phones, to expand in a market where more people access the Web via handsets than PCs.

The service displays reports from about 30 media outlets, including Asahi newspaper and state-run NHK, and aims to expand its lineup, Google said in a media release on Thursday.

The service shows a list of headlines and links to news sites that are also designed for cellphones.

"People want to check the news all the time," Angela Lee, Google's senior product manager in Tokyo told a briefing earlier this week. "We've created something that's easy to use and view on handsets."

The service challenges existing news distribution sites for cellphones in Japan, which typically charge users monthly fees.

Google Japan already offers a news Web site for PCs, which displays reports from more than 600 news organisations.

Mountain View, California-based Google has also tied up with Japan's second-biggest phone carrier KDDI Corp. to offer search engines on mobile phones.