October 2, 2023 Inquiry to the Information and Communications Council regarding Ideal State of Voice Access Charges after the migration to IP Networks

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) today sent an inquiry to the Information and Communications Council (chaired by ENDO Nobuhiro, Executive Advisor of NEC Corporation) on the ideal state of voice access charges after the migration to IP networks, as shown in the attachment.

1. Background

The facilities of the public switched telephone network (hereafter referred to as “PSTN”) currently used for the telephone services of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT EAST) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (NTT West) will reach the maintenance limit around 2025. NTT East/West has been switching routes from the PSTN to an IP network starting in fiscal year 2022.
The Information and Communications Council’s final report, “Ideal State of Interconnection System with Consideration at Stage of Migration to IP Networks,” issued in September 2021, states that it is appropriate to calculate access charges for NTT East and West’s metal IP telephony and IP telephony using fiber optics (HIKARI DENWA) as the same access charges after the migration to IP networks under the Category I Designated Telecommunications facilities System.
In addition, the Information and Communications Council’s report, “Ideal State of the Universal Service Subsidy System in Light of Changes in the Fixed-line Phone Environment” (September 2022), states that after the migration of the telephone networks to IP networks, it is appropriate to calculate the access charges for wireless fixed-line phones as the same access charges for metal IP phones and IP telephony using fiber optics (HIKARI DENWA). In light of the above, it is necessary to consider the specific calculation method.
Based on the above, MIC sent this inquiry regarding the ideal state of voice access charges after the migration to IP networks (from January 2025 onward).

2. Matters for which a response is desired

The ideal state of voice access charges after the migration to IP networks

3. Deadline for the report

Around May 2024