Broadband Internet in Japan

The Internet Blossoms in Its own Way Here

Thanks to a decades-long government monopoly controlling local telephone service, connecting to the internet via telephone used to be a deliberate choice. Metering each and every minute of connected time kept the average Japanese from venturing too far or logging in frequently. Even though a special rate plan for unlimited calling between 11PM and 8AM was offered, limitations on access temporarily stunted the growth of websites in Japanese. Then in 1999, the advent of digital cellular technology supplied cellular phone subscribers with access to menus of proprietary content as well as a built-in email address and connection to the web. With immediate access from the handset, the Japanese embraced the utility of accessing content "on the go." During this time, digital cellular accounts with internet access surpassed the number of dialup internet accounts. But full-color rich content and fixed-rate dialup plans are luring users back to desktop access. In 2001 ISDN lines at 64 kbps and ADSL service up to 1.5 Mbps are being rolled out at fixed monthly rate plans. Moreover, some businesses are eyeing fiberoptic cable connections to the home for true broadband delivery.

Internet in Japan: Chart of Events

January 7	Softbank consolidates four companies to form Softbank Broadband as the operating company for its Yahoo BB ADSL internet service.
February	Cable internet subscribers exceed 2 million.
October 1	Jupiter Programming, Tohokushinsha, Secom, and Nikkei News establish Online TV, a broadband multichannel broadcast venture.
October 3	Major ADSL vendor eAccess completes hugely successful IPO.
December	ADSL subscribers nationwide exceed 10 million.

January 18	Tokyo Electric Power obtains conditional approval to become broadband datacom operations.
January 31	Fuji TV, TBS, and TV Asahi lead establishment of broadband content company Toresola.
February 1	SkyPerfecTV begins commercial broadband delivery trials.
February 12	Usen Corporation begins Broad-Gate 02, its fiberoptic ISP service for businesses.
February 13	Fuji Sony and Sony Commmunication Network launch broadband portal "So-net Broadband Mega-Channel."
February 22	Microsoft releases XBOX.
March 31	eBay ceases operations of Japan office and Japanese site.
March 31	SkyPerfecTV and NTT begin streaming video tests on fiberoptic cable.
April 1	Mobile Internet Service launches wireless broadband connectivity service.
April	JDS launches fiberoptic "Backbone Service" for cable operators offering broadband internet connectivity on a proprietary network.
May 7	DSL provider Yahoo BB begins wireless connectivity option by installing connection points in McDonald's restaurants. This initiative continues with installations at Mr. Donuts and Starbucks Coffee locations.
June	SpeedNet tops 10,000 subscribers.
June	B Maga (Broadband Magazine) publishes innaugural issue.
July 1	Yahoo BB merges with Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya Metallic Communications.
August 1	SkyPerfect Communications launches commercial services of its broadband internet portal SkyPerfect BB.
September	Yahoo BB signs up over 1 million ADSL subs.
September	FTTH broadband internet users exceed 100,000.
December	ADSL subscribers nationwide exceed 5 million.

February	DSL access skyrockets with over 10,000 subs added in one month.
February	JPNIC establishes Japan Registry Service Co. (JRSC) to commercially administer '.jp' domain names.
March 1	Usen Corp. begins roll out of 100Mbps FTTH broadband network for internet access and proprietary services.
March 4	NTT Docomo i-mode subscribers top 20 million.
April	Japan Digital Serve and SCC form "Programming Distribution Center," the planning company that becomes i-HITS Co., Ltd.
April 1	Akamai Technologies Japan established as joint venture with SoftBank.
May 15	MEI establishes Hi-Ho Broadband with TIS (24.5%) and PFU (24.5%) as 51% shareholder.
May 25	SpeedNet launches FWA broadband internet service in Saitama.
June 29	NTT establishes NTT Broadband Initiative (NTT-BB).
June 30	usen tops 1,000 FTTH subscribers.
July	SoftBank makes TOB for ADSL pioneer Tokyo Metallic Communications.
July 31	DSL subscribers exceed 400,000.
Aug. 1	Tokai Broadband begins offering ADSL broadband connectivity in Tokyo.
Aug. 1	NTT begins offering FTTH broadband connectivity.
September	SkyPerfecTV announced participation in broadband internet program delivery trials with NTT, KDDI, and Japan Telecom affiliates.
December	i-HITS established as operating company to deliver broadband content.
Dec. 8	WOWOW begins pay VOD trials over broadband internet.
December 31	ADSL subscribers exceed 1.5 million nationwide.

March 25	TITUS Communications ALLNET cable internet subs top 20,000.
June 19	Net@Home (@Home Japan) launches broadband internet service.
September 1	Merger with No. 2 MSO TITUS Communications makes No. 1 MSO J-Com an ISP with over 70,000 cable internet subscribers.
October	Major Telcos Nippon Telecom, KDDI, and TTNet follow NTT in offering flat-rate dial-up internet service.
December 26	NTT announces official entry to DSL market with "FLETS-ADSL" service.

February 22	NTT Docomo launches i-mode service enabling digital cellular handsets to become terminals for internet email correspondence, web access, and proprietary interactive content menus.
July 29	Tokyo Metallic Communications Corp. is established as DSL provider for broadband internet and online multimedia connectivity.
August 8	NTT Docomo i-mode subscribers top 1 million.
November	Sachio Senmoto and Eric Gan found e-Access as a broadband (DSL) ISP, web hosting service, ASP, and IP backbone architect business.
December	Aggregate subscribers of top 15 dial-up ISP's in Japan exceed 10 million.
December	NTT initiates testing of ADSL service.

April	KAME Project initiated between private and academic sectors toward establishing free IPv6 and IPsec stack for BSD operating system variants around the world.
October	TITUS Communications launches cable internet service ALLNET.