TOKYO, Aug. 27, 2009 (Kyodo News International) -- Hitachi (NYSE:HIT) Ltd., NEC Corp. and Casio Computer Co. are considering integrating their mobile phone businesses as early as next April, industry sources said Friday.

If realized, the three would have a combined share of more than 20 percent in the Japanese mobile phone market, drawing close to Sharp Corp., the biggest cellphone maker in Japan in terms of market share in fiscal 2008 at 23 percent.