(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| Japan's TTNet to Start Int'l Calling Services in July
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January 21, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Tokyo Telecommunications Network Co., Inc.
(TTNet), an affiliate of Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., said it will
start international calling services this July.
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The services are provided for subscribers of "Tokyo Denwa" (Tokyo Telephone).
Tokyo Denwa is a local telephone service TTNet started in Tokyo and
its adjacent area in January 1998.
Recently, each of the telecom companies in Japan has begun offering both
domestic and international calling services. Japan Telecom Co., Ltd.,
KDD Corp. and DDI Corp. have been providing both services since October
1997, July 1998 and October 1998, respectively. By October 1999, a new
NTT company following the NTT break-up will provide long-distance and
international calling services.
TTNet will not offer a discount plan, but will likely have a simple rate
card as a selling point, comparable to its Tokyo Denwa service. Although
the rate card fee has not yet been determined, "it would be set at levels
competitive in the marketplace," said a TTNet official.
The number of subscribers with Tokyo Denwa reached about 1.8 million
in early January 1999. TTNet provides subscribers with both local and
out-of-city calling services, and it is going to add a service for international phone calls.
Users simply dial "0082" before the number of a receiving party. The
service will be available for TTNet's subscribers and ISDN users using
TTNet's subscribers' lines as well. As for the international network,
other networks owned by companies like KDD will be used.
Apart from the international telephone call services, TTNet plans to
add an inexpensive Internet connection service. With a full lineup of
Tokyo Denwa services, the company hopes to further increase its number
of subscribers to 2.5 million, which is a break-even point for its business.
Related stories:
� TTNet Starts Low-Cost Phone Service in Tokyo
� Japan Telecom to Cut Overseas Telephone Charges
Again
(Nikkei
Communications)
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