Number of Internet Users (As of February 28, 2003)

Press Release

March 31, 2003
Ministry of Home Management, Public Affairs,
Posts and Telecommunications

Number of Internet Users (As of February 28, 2003)

DSL Service Users

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Users (subscribers)	2001	16,194	34,372	70,655	112,182	178,737	291,333	400,760	510,339	650,796	921,867	1,204,564	1,524,564
	2002	1,787,598	2,976,302	2,378,795	2,699,285	3,028,556	3,300,926	3,610,199	3,915,740	4,223,216	4,639,545	5,117,867	5,645,728
	2003	6,119,883	6,589,867

Note) The number of subscribers using terminal lines offered by the NTT regional companies.
For futher details, see http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/whatsnew/dsl/

FTTH Service Users

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Users (subscribers)	2002	12,337	18,188	26,400	34,930	50,930	68,600	84,903	99,404	114,608	138,030	172,344	206,189
Users (subscribers)	2003	233,072	263,144

Number of Subscribers Using Internet Connection Services that Utilize the CATV Network

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Subscribers (in 10,000s)	2001			78.4			96.7			115.1			130.3
	2002	133.4	139.9	145.6	153.3	156.7	162.6	171.0	175.8	180.0	185.2	190.1	195.4
	2003	199.2	202.8

Note) Subscribers include those occasionally using a dial-up line. Includes the number of lines of internet service providers whose sole role is to offer the lines.

Number of Operators Providing Internet Connection Services that Utilize the CATV Network

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Operators (companies)	2001	190	198	201	217	221	227	232	233	238	240	243	247
	2002	251	251	252	263	265	268	270	272	274	275	276	277
	2003	277	279

Note) Number of operators includes the number of Providers whose sole role is offering the lines to other internet service providers.

Number of Internet Service Users Via Mobile Phone Terminals

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Users (in 10,000s)	2001	2,924.4	3,141.1	3,456.7	3,694.4	3,865.7	4,037.5	4,216.7	4,355.0	4,493.7	4,618.2	4,717.8	4,849.5
	2002	4,943.8	5,033.6	5,192.5	5,297.0	5,371.4	5,464.6	5,559.4	5,634.7	5,711.3	5,777.1	5,843.2	5,952.7
	2003	6,023.5	6,094.6

Note) The total number of subscribers to the i-mode, Ezweb (including the previous EZaccess) and J-Sky services.

Increase in the Number of Internet Connection Service Users Utilizing Dial-up Connections on Telephone Lines

		Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Index	2001	153.2	156.9	163.1*	166.8	170.2	173.3	176.1	179.3	181.6	183.2	184.4	186.4
	2002	188.4	189.5	191.0	215.4*	217.2	203.9	203.9	204.1	203.1	204.1	201.0	200.0
	2003	196.4	194.8

Note) 100 taken as the basic index for the number of subscribers (10.59 million) to 15 major operators at the end of December 1999. The number of subscribers as of December 2002 is about 2,064million (10.59 million X 194.8/100).

For one of the target companies being surveyed, there was a modification in the survey process which is one reason for the increase in the index of March 2001 and April 2002.

Computer Communications Division, Telecommunications Business Department, Telecommunications Bureau

(contact: Deputy Director Ms.Itoh, Section Chief Mr.Uehara, Mr. Ohtomo Tel. 03-5253-5854 Fax.03-5253-5855)

Appendix

Number of providers of Internet connection services using CATV by town, city and prefecture

City or prefecture	Operators	City or prefecture	Operators	City or prefecture	Operators	City or prefecture	Operators
Hokkaido	5	Tokyo	26	Shiga	3	Kagawa	4
Aomori	2	Kanagawa	17	Kyoto	3	Ehime	6
Iwate	4	Niigata	4	Osaka	15	Kochi	3
Miyagi	4	Toyama	8	Hyogo	10	Fukuoka	7
Akita	1	Ishikawa	5	Nara	1	Saga	7(6)
Yamagata	2	Fukui	4	Wakayama	1	Nagasaki	6
Fukushima	0	Yamanashi	8	Tottori	3	Kumamoto	2
Ibaragi	4	Nagano	13(12)	Shimane	4	Oita	4
Tochigi	8	Gifu	4	Okayama	8	Miyazaki	3
Gunma	4	Shizuoka	6	Hiroshima	8	Kagoshima	4
Saitama	15	Aichi	13	Yamaguchi	6	Okinawa	3
Chiba	14	Mie	9	Tokushima	4

Note) - The figures in brackets indicate that there was an increase or decrease in the number of Operators from The previous month.

- Includes Operators providing lines for Internet service providers

- The number of Operators indicates The number of Operators providing services in that area. Some Operators are providing services in more than one city or prefecture.

Note)	-	The figures in brackets indicate that there was an increase or decrease in the number of Operators from The previous month.
	-	Includes Operators providing lines for Internet service providers
	-	The number of Operators indicates The number of Operators providing services in that area. Some Operators are providing services in more than one city or prefecture.