| 1985 || May 30 || Early development || State-owned Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corp. is privatized as Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) amid liberalization of the telecommunications sector.<ref name="fundinguniverse.com"/><ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp">{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.docomo-sys.co.jp/english/company/history.html |website=docomo-sys.co.jp |accessdate=12 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Takano |first1=Yoshirō |title=Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Privatization Study: Experience of Japan and Lessons for Developing Countries, Parts 63-179 |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=3aW1AAAAIAAJ&q=Nippon+Telegraph+and+Telephone+Corporation+in+1985&dq=Nippon+Telegraph+and+Telephone+Corporation+in+1985&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9memH44bmAhXlD7kGHQ7IAWMQ6AEITzAF}}</ref> Operating domestic telecommunications, it is considered "one of the most powerful sparks that lit the communications revolution in Japan".<ref name="Communication">{{cite web |title=Communication |url=https://features.japantimes.co.jp/heisei-moments-part-8-communication/ |website=features.japantimes.co.jp |accessdate=26 November 2019}}</ref>
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| 1986 || April || Funding || Capital investment from {{w|FUJITSU}} and {{w|Hitachi}} increases to 499 million JPY.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>|-| 1989 || || Early development || {{w|NTT DOCOMO}} commences operation of Nagoya Regional Marketing Branch.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>|-| 1989 || || Personnel || {{w|NTT DOCOMO}} number of employees reach 200.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>|-| 1990 || || Financial || {{w|NTT DOCOMO}} total sales reach 10 billion JPY.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>|-| 1991 || || Early development || {{w|NTT DOCOMO}} commences operation of its Osaka Regional Marketing Branch.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>|-| 1991 || August || Founding || NTT Mobile Communications Network is established by the {{w|Nippon Telegraph and Telephone}} (NTT) as a subsidiary to take over the mobile cellular operations.<ref>{{cite web |title=NTT DoCoMo |url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/48149/ntt-docomo |website=pcmag.com |accessdate=15 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Jain |first1=Vipul |title=Recent Trends in Intelligent Computing, Communication and Devices |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=vUuzDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1063&lpg=PA1063&dq=August+14,+1991+%22DOCOMO%22&source=bl&ots=QY_R6wQt54&sig=ACfU3U23aehqGfjuSOVoQEEZ5esKOZAwyw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx4ouXjZ_lAhUZILkGHW8YC08Q6AEwCnoECAoQAg#v=onepage&q=August%2014%2C%201991%20%22DOCOMO%22&f=false}}</ref><ref name="crunchbase.com">{{cite web |title=NTT DoCoMo |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ntt-docomo#section-overview |website=crunchbase.com |accessdate=15 October 2019}}</ref> This unit would soon adopt the nickname DoCoMo, which stands for "Do Communications Over the Mobile Network".<ref name"dfgghj">{{cite book |last1=Vesa |first1=Jarkko |title=Mobile Services in the Networked Economy |url=https://books.google.com.ar/books?id=S93M_UK4iegC&pg=PA124&dq=%22ntt%22+%22docomo%22+%22in+1985..1992%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxz-aniYjmAhVsJrkGHULwD_YQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=%22ntt%22%20%22docomo%22%20%22in%201985..1992%22&f=false}}</ref> Operations commence at the Osaka Regional Marketing Branch.<ref name="docomo-sys.co.jp"/>
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| 1991 || || || There are about 5.75 million pager subscribers in Japan, of which NTT has some 3.5 million.<ref name="Communication"/>
