July 15, 2008

Directive Issued to NTT East and NTT West concerning
Advertisement on VoIP Communications Network Service

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) today issued a directive to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (NTT East and NTT West) concerning their advertisement on "Hikari Denwa" service.

1. Background
(1) Telecommunications services constitute an integral part of our national life. Therefore, advertisements placed by telecommunications carriers on their services should indicate the service content and the conditions for service provision in an easy-to-understand manner so that users will not be mislead and their interests are protected.
(2) In March 2004, Voluntary Standards and Guidelines for Advertisement of Telecommunications Services was developed as a set of voluntary industry rules following discussions at the Liaison Meeting for Telecommunications Consumer Support, which was organized by MIC. An industry association, the Telecommunications Service Promotion Council, has since ensured the operation of the rules, and reviewed them in June 2007.
(3) Even after the review, NTT East and NTT West placed advertisements on their Hikari Denwa VoIP communications network service that may not have allowed users to gain a full understanding of the service content.

2. Details of the directive, etc.
MIC directed NTT East and NTT West to be more attentive in ensuring that the advertisements they place provide easy-to-understand information that does not mislead users and use appropriate expressions, as well as to promptly develop corrective measures and report them to MIC by August 8, 2008. In the meantime, MIC called for the Telecommunications Carriers Association to publicize the directive to its member carriers.

MIC will continue its efforts to protect user interests in regard to telecommunications services.

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For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html

International Policy Division,
International Affairs Department
Telecommunications Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5920 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924