ANALYSIS: NTT Com Service To Spark Broadband Battle
Wednesday, April 3, 2002
nni.nikkei.co.jp
TOKYO (Nikkei)--The planned start of a wireless, high-speed Internet access service by NTT Communications Corp. will likely push broadband communications service providers into competition in such areas as price, communications speed and convenience, according to industry sources.
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NTT Com To Start High-Speed Wireless Net Access Service In 2003
The new service, which is expected to be launched as early as summer 2003, is a potential competitor with such broadband services as asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) and fiber optics services.
As of the end of February, the number of domestic ADSL subscribers stood at about 2 million, while that of fiber optics totaled 18,000.
The monthly fee for the new service will be just above 5,000 yen, including the basic charge for Internet Protocol phones.
This is slightly more expensive than monthly ADSL services plus the basic phone charge of 1,750 yen. But NTT Com is touting its ease of use to expand the service.
Specifically, the long-distance phone company says the new service, unlike ADSL, will not require any engineering work for setting up communications lines since it will link subscribers with a phone station via radio.
In other words, subscribers will be able to use the service immediately after the wireless communications equipment is installed, company officials claim.
As for fiber optics service, its communications speed of 100 megabits per second is superb. But the technology requires subscribers to make a large investment to build fiber optics lines into their households. It will likely take several more years before the service comes into full-scale use, the sources predict.
(The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Wednesday morning edition) |
