All, thought this might be of interest...
3/2/98 WorldCom Is Cleared To Offer Telecom Services In Japan
TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- WorldCom Inc. said Monday it received
permission from Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
to offer domestic and international telecommunications services
through its own facilities in Japan.
The ministry granted WorldCom (WCOM) a type-one license which
will allow the company to build its own fiber-optic network
infrastructure supporting domestic and international voice and
data services, the Jackson, Miss.-based telecommunications
provider said. WorldCom is the first foreign carrier to be
awarded a type-one license.
The company will be ready to begin domestic and international
voice and data services by the end of the year, WorldCom's Asia
Pacific president, Steve Liddell, said early last month when the
company applied for type-one status. Liddell said at that time
that WorldCom would first concentrate on establishing a network
in Tokyo, targeting customers in the financial-services
industry, and then expand its services to other parts of the
country.
WorldCom is considering the possibility of cooperating with
local companies in its expansion plans, Liddell said, though he
didn't give any details.
Currently, WorldCom provides a range of international data
services in Japan by leasing lines provided by Japanese type-one
carriers.
BT Network Information Service, a 51%-owned unit of British
Telecommunications PLC (BTY), also applied for type-one status
in early February. The company's other shareholders include
Marubeni Corp. and other Japanese companies.
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