November 14, 2008

State of Numbers of Subscribers to Telecommunications Services

(As of the end of September 2008)
As mandated by the Rules for Reporting on Telecommunications Business (MPT Ordinance No. 46 of 1988), the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has compiled the numbers of fixed-line telecommunications and mobile telecommunications services contracts reported by telecommunications carriers as of the end of September 2008.

The following outlines the results.

1. Subscriber telephones and ISDN
The total number of contracts for subscriber telephones and ISDN as of the end of September 2008 was 49.359 million, a 7.4% year-on-year decrease, and this declining trend continues.

2. Number of IP phone users
The number of IP phone users as of the end of September 2008 was 19.047 million. This is an 18.2% increase from the same period of last year, and this increasing trend continues. The increase in the users of IP phones with the 0AB-J number structure (10 digits, starting with a zero) is especially remarkable, with a 60.6% year-on-year increase.

3. Mobile phones and PHS
The number of contracts for mobile phones and PHS as of the end of September 2008 totaled 109.420 million. This figure represents a 4.9% year-on-year increase, and this steady increasing trend continues.

(in millions)
  Subscriber telephone + ISDN IP telephony Mobile phone + PHS
Total 0AB-J numbers Numbers with 050 prefix
End of Sep. 2008 49.359 19.047 9.514 9.533 109.420
End of Sep. 2007 53.330 16.119 5.924 10.194 104.290
Change -3.971 2.928 3.590 -0.661 5.130
(Change rate) (-7.4%) (18.2%) (60.6%) (-6.5%) (4.9%)

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International Policy Division,
Global ICT Strategy Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5920 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924