Revision of NTT Law "Opposition to Abolition" Major telecommunications companies except NTT request

With regard to the debate on the revision of the NTT Act, major telecommunications companies other than NTT opposed the repeal of the law at a hearing held by the Liberal Democratic Party on the 19th, and submitted a request calling for careful consideration jointly by 180 companies and organizations, including telecommunications carriers.

The request was jointly submitted to the LDP and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications by 180 companies and organizations, including telecommunications carriers excluding NTT such as KDDI, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile, as well as cable TV companies nationwide that provide data communications services in the region.

While they expressed their support for considering a review of telecommunications policies to improve people's lives and revitalize the economy, they opposed the repeal of the NTT Act and hoped for careful consideration.

The reason for this is that if the NTT Act is abolished, the NTT Group will be further integrated, a fair competitive environment will be hindered, and there are concerns that usage fees will remain high, and NTT, which inherits the telecommunications infrastructure and other facilities of the public corporation era, may no longer assume public interest responsibilities.

Regarding the way the series of discussions toward the review will proceed, despite the very important discussions on the future of the telecommunications market, there are concerns that the time to reach a conclusion is too short and sufficient discussions have been exhausted.

Three major telecommunications companies reiterated their opposition at press conference

The heads of the three major telecommunications companies, excluding NTT, who attended the LDP work team, held a press conference in Tokyo after the meeting and reiterated their opposition to the repeal of the NTT Act.

KDDI President Makoto Takahashi said, "We submitted a request from 180 companies and others, and although we oppose the abolition of the NTT Act and need more careful policy discussion, forcibly advancing the discussion is a major issue that ignores public opinion."

In addition, SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa stated, "Regulations are the norm when managing important public assets in Japan, and while I support the review of the NTT Act, I absolutely oppose its abolition."

Kazuhiro Suzuki, Co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile, said, "The revision of the NTT Act does not mean that companies like major IT companies in the United States will appear in the Japan, but we need to think comprehensively about how such companies can come out and grow Japan with a broader perspective."