Asia Pacific Watch

November 18, 2004
J-COM launches phone using VoIP

TOKYO -- Jupiter Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (J-COM), the largest broadband and cable service provider in Japan based on the number of customers served, recently announced its plans to launch J-COM Phone, J-COM's competitively priced phone services, by the Spring of 2005.

J-COM offers a variety of phone services similar in quality to those offered by NTT East and NTT West. The addition of J-COM Phone will offer Sapporo customers all three J-COM service lines and associated package savings for those customers who subscribe to more than one J-COM service. J-COM currently offers multichannel cable television services (J-COM TV) and high-speed Internet access services (J-COM Net) in the area.

J-COM already offers J-COM Phone services via traditional switched technology, but this new phone service utilises VoIP technologies while offering similar quality of services as established switched services. With this launch, J-COM will concentrate on offerings that more customers can use in single residence as well as in multiple dwelling units.

Major characteristics of the new J-COM phone service include introducing the "0AB-J" phone number system; emergency call services; monthly basic rate of 1,330 yen; various optional services available at minimal additional cost, including tone dial, call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, call blocking and three-way calling.

With the new J-COM Phone service, J-COM Sapporo's subscribers will call other J-COM Phone subscribers, currently approximately 720,000 households across Japan, for a very economical intra-group connection rate. Calls can be made to non-J-COM Phone subscribers through J-COM's coaxial and fiber networks and NTT public networks.

Contact:
Jupiter Telecommunications
www.jcom.co.jp