The Japanese company is considered to be one of the world's most advanced mobile operators, so if it continues to encounter problems when the new service is launched it will be a blow for telecoms firms everywhere.

ECONOMIST: Japan rolls out 3G phones | The

Mr. WITTE: If the Katrina recovery does not work out well, if it continues to flail, if it continues to be beset by the same kind of problems that you saw with the initial response, I think that you are going to be seeing a lot of people wondering was it a good decision to outsource so much of what government does, to contract that out?

NPR: Post-Katrina Contractors in the Gulf Region