Telecommunications

November 2002

NTT East Corp. will cut the monthly charge for its asymmetric digital subscriber line services Dec. 1, challenging rivals such as Softbank Corp. Yahoo BB ADSL service. NTT East will reduce the charge for its 12-megabit service called Flet's ADSL More by 500 yen for a rate of 2,700 yen, which does not include Internet service provider fees. The new ADSL service fee could be the lowest in Japan if accessed through a cut-rate ISP, lower than the roughly 3,500 yen set by Yahoo BB's 12-megabit ADSL service. It will be the first time that NTT East and NTT West Corp. have set different charges on similar services as NTT West has yet to announce a cut in its ADSL service charges. NTT East and NTT West are regional carriers under Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (November 23, the Japan Times, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun)