IV. Opening of Local Networks

Progress to Date

Through NTT reorganization and thoroughgoing network opening, the conditions for fair and open competition that have already been achieved are second to those in no other country. (See Attachment 9 and 10)


NTT reorganization
NTT has been divided into East and West regional service companies and a long-distance company, all under a holding company.


Network opening
Provision of dark fiber (local and trunk) (December 2000)
Full-scale provision of dry copper and line sharing (December 2000)
Introduction of carrier selection system (MYLINE) (May 2001)
*Note: Introduced also for local calls, unlike the U.S.
Further opening of poles, ducts, and conduits (April 2001)
Provision of leased circuit carrier's rate (February 2001)
Opening of OSS (DSL: December 2000; optical fiber: May 2001; address information: February 1999; MYLINE : January 2001; number information database: July 2001)
Introduction of number portability (March 2001) Etc.


Introduction of long-run incremental costing (LRIC) to interconnection charges (April 2000)
Whereas the U.S. applies this only to local calls, in Japan it is applied to all calls.


Policy for the Future

NTT East and NTT West are continuing to make the maximum effort toward network opening.


Additional efforts are being made toward network opening in the Internet and optical fiber services fields, where market invigoration from competition is expected to lead to growth. (See Attachment 11)

Main Areas of Network Opening

DSL services
OSS opening: Publicizing on the Web, etc., the suitability for DSL of individual metallic lines (November 2001 and after)
Keeping the same number when switching from ISDN to analog service (aiming for summer 2002)
Implementing better firewall measures from a sales standpoint with regard to applications for DSL service (currently negotiating with providers)

Optical fiber services
OSS opening: Addition of information disclosure items for optical fiber equipment (September 2001, etc.), shortening the disclosed information update time, and enabling electronic application for use (November 2001 and after).
Taking into consideration the requirements of other carriers in facilities construction plans (fiscal 2002)
Additional network unbundling (unbundled fiber subloop, collocation in RT) (to be implemented in response to individual requests)

Other services
Opening of L-mode service (access points, backbone, etc.) (to be implemented in response to requests by other providers)
Regular publicizing of interconnection and collocation status, and of the status of granting use of poles, ducts, and conduits (aiming for fiscal 2001)


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