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| February 28, 2001 |
| For Immediate Release |
NTT East Submits Business Operation Plan for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2002
for Approval to Minister for Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications |
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT East) today submitted its business operation plan for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002 for approval to the Minister for Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications.
In the building of an advanced information and telecommunications society, information and communications are expected to contribute enormously to invigorating and enhancing the efficiency of socioeconomic activity, and as needs grow more sophisticated, diverse, and global in character, the market for them will expand and develop further. On the other hand, the structure of the information and telecommunications market is undergoing dramatic change, characterized by surging demand for mobile communications and Internet communications. The introduction of Dialing Parity (Carrier-Selection Service) and the emergence of new players in the Internet access market are also bringing much fiercer competition into regional communications markets.
In this operating environment, NTT East will continue to strive to provide stable, high-quality universal services, while also enhancing the stability and strength of its management base. Moreover, the company will devote itself to promoting the development of optical access networks in anticipation of greater demand for high-speed Internet services; contribute to the formation of a fair telecommunications market; improve applied research and development; and ensure reliability and communality in the field of telecommunications. At the same time, it will strive to foster the development of information sharing, through, for example, the provision of services to handle the full-fledged spread of the Internet and other new services employing digital infrastructure, with the aim of contributing to a wide range of both corporate and individual activity. Through these endeavors, NTT East will seek to make a real difference to the world.
In the management of business operations for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002, based upon this fundamental thinking, NTT East will make every effort to ascertain people's opinions and demands swiftly and accurately, and to improve services accordingly. In the face of the present very difficult operating environment, it will devote its full energies to reducing costs and generating earnings based on the Mid-Term Restructuring Plan, striving also to lower charges. In particular, NTT East will respond actively to the growing demand for Internet communications by providing Fiber-optic IP Connection Service, as well as other full-lineup access services in addition to its INS-Net and ADSL flat-rate services. It will also ensure the ongoing development of stable operations by working vigorously to assure the smoothness of connections and the openness of networks, to strengthen disaster countermeasures, to develop its human resources and to undertake new business operations. It will also position itself to return the fruits of these measures to customers, the community, and-through the holding company-to shareholders.
In line with this thinking, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002, NTT East will give priority to the following categories in the conduct of its business management, and will do so flexibly so as to respond to changes in the operating environment.
1. Voice Transmission Services
(1) Subscriber Telephones
NTT East will respond to all demand for subscriber telephones, including the relocation of existing lines. The number of subscribers is projected to total approximately 24.74 million by the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002.
| Item |
 |
Planned Number |
| Additional Installations |
|
(1.01) million subscribers |
| Relocations |
|
4.66 million subscribers |
(2) Social-Welfare Telephones
The advance of the welfare society has been accompanied by a greater social requirement for telecommunications services in the sphere of welfare. To respond to this need, NTT East will continue to promote the installation of welfare-related products, such as its "Silver Phones Series" (Anshin [Relief], Meiryo [Clearness], Hibiki [Sound], and Fureai [Communication]).
| Item |
|
Planned Number |
| Silver Phones |
|
|
| Anshin (Relief) |
|
300 units |
| Meiryo (Clearness) |
|
100 units |
(3) Public Telephones
NTT East will promote the installation of IC-Card public telephones, and also continue to promote the installation of social welfare public telephones such as public telephones with a volume adjustment function, and public telephone boxes usable by people in wheelchairs. In this way, it will strive to improve social welfare facilities and public services.
| Item |
|
Planned Number |
| IC-Card Public Telephones |
|
12,000 units |
| Public Telephones with Volume Adjustment Function |
|
12,000 units |
(4) INS-Net Digital Services
INS-Net digital services can be provided in all of the regions in which demand is forecast. The numbers of INS-Net 64 lines and INS-Net 1500 lines are projected to total approximately 5,928,000 and 100,000, respectively, by the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2002.
| Item |
|
Planned Number |
| INS-Net 64 Subscriber Lines |
|
922,000 circuits |
| INS-Net 1500 Subscriber Lines |
|
22,000 circuits |
2. Data Transmission Services
IP connection services are provided which enable all connections from INS-Net and ADSL to the Internet to be made for a flat rate. NTT East will also examine the possibility of providing a full-range Fiber-optic IP Connection Service at greater speeds in order to respond to demand for faster Internet communications.
3. Leased Circuit Services
In the field of leased circuit services, NTT East is planning to install the facilities needed to cater to the increasingly varied demand for circuits, including for high-speed digital transmission and voice and image transmission.
| Item |
|
Planned Number |
| Conventional Leased Circuits |
|
(49,000) circuits |
| High-Speed Digital Transmission Circuits |
|
51,000 circuits |
4. Telegraph Services
NTT East will continue to conduct the maintenance of systems and other operations in order to further improve services and to promote increased operating efficiency in its telegraph services.
5. Improvements and Advances in Telecommunications Equipment
(1) Optical Access Network
The switchover to the use of optical fiber in the access network will be actively promoted in accordance with factors such as the state of demand for higher-speed Internet communications.
| Item |
|
Planned Number |
| Optical Subscriber Cables |
|
1 million fiber km |
| (Cover rate at the end of March 2002 will be 54%.) |
(2) Telecommunications Network
In its telecommunications network, NTT East will not only meet Internet communications demand, but at the same time will further upgrade network services and improve network economy and efficiency.
(3) Disaster-Prevention Measures
NTT East will take all necessary measures in the sphere of disaster-prevention measures. These will include disaster-prevention measures for telecommunications equipment and facilities, measures to ensure emergency communications, and measures to strengthen the structure for crisis management and the restoration of systems if large-scale disasters occur, and to assist with the sharing of information after a natural disaster.
(4) Installation of Underground Transmission Cables
With regard to the burying of transmission cables, from the standpoint of improving the reliability of communications facilities, ensuring safe and pleasant passage spaces, and enhancing the appearance of urban areas, NTT East will work in cooperation with the national and local governments and with other companies.
(5) Facility Maintenance
The maintenance of facilities will be directed at ensuring stable and high-quality services, by, for example, replacing cables and other facilities on an on-going basis. Through this, NTT East will aim not only to maintain customer services, but also to ensure safe operations, harmonization with the social environment, and the stabilization of communications systems.
NTT East will seek to minimize costs by making exhaustive use of existing equipment and facilities in improving and upgrading communications facilities.
6. Promotion of R&D Activities
To further stabilize and strengthen its management base, and to respond to the growing popularity of the Internet and public demand for the creation of an advanced information and telecommunications network society, NTT East will promote research and development in the spheres of network systems and access systems so as to improve the sophistication of telecommunications networks. In addition, to position itself to give customers the choice of a diverse range of reliable and convenient services through sophisticated telecommunications networks, NTT East will also conduct research and development in such areas as information sharing applications and communications terminals of various types.
A summary of the business plans for the above principal services and plant and equipment investment plans are outlined in the attached tables.
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