Request for Transfer to NTT Finance of Control, etc. of Work relating to Telecommunications Service Fees, etc. of NTT East, NTT West, NTT Communications and NTT DoCoMo

1. Background

　On February 2, 2012, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (hereafter referred to as “NTT East”), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (hereafter referred to as “NTT West”), NTT Communications, Inc. (hereafter referred to as “NTT Communications”), NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (hereafter referred to as “NTT DoCoMo”) (furthermore, these four companies are hereafter referred to collectively as “the business firms”), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation and NTT Finance, Inc. (hereafter referred to as “NTT Finance”) announced policy with content including a request for transfer from the business firms to NTT Finance of control, etc. of work relating to the telecommunications service fees, etc. provided by the business firms from July 2012 onwards, collection by NTT Finance of work relating to the business firms' fees, etc., and enablement of compilation of invoices relating to the business firms, etc. based on requests from users, etc.
　The content of this policy was submitted as a written request with a joint signature from 66 telecommunications business companies and organizations, etc., together with concerns expressed regarding fair competition, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) through Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation confirmed all of the relevant facts, etc.
　As a result of this confirmation, challenges to the implementation of the policy content are recognized from the point of view of regulations relating to work for adequate, fair and stable provision of telephone services assigned to NTT East and NTT West Japan-wide in accordance with the Act on Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, etc. (Act 85 of 1984; hereafter referred to as “NTT Act”), repeated fair competition measures imposed on the business firms, fee regulations and consumer protection rules imposed on the business firms in accordance with the Telecommunications Business Act (Act 86 of 1984; hereafter referred to as the “Business Act”), and continuing to keep to the point of conduct regulations, etc. imposed on market-dominating telecommunications businesses.
　Therefore, when the business firms transfer to one party control of work relating to fees, etc. (hereafter referred to as “fee work”) for the respective telecommunications services they provide, the business firms have been requested to take measures to that the party receiving this control (hereafter referred to as the “fee work company”) and the business firms continue to keep to the point of the above-mentioned regulations, etc.

2. Future initiatives

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will continue to closely observe the status of implementation of this policy, and will provide necessary guidance and supervision to ensure that the provision of Japan-wide telephone services is adequate, fair and stable, as well as ensuring fair competition, etc. in the telecommunications market.