Strategies
Technology Development at NTT East
Hideo Naruse
Director of Research and Development Center, Network Business Headquarters, NTT East
Enhancing optical IP services and improving
customer services
For several years now, the number of subscribers tobroadband services has been increasing dramatically
due to lower rates and expanded content. In April, BFLET’S services surpassed two million subscribers,
marking the genuine arrival of the optical-fiber era ofInternet access. NTT East is working on various
developments to enhance B-FLET’S services andreduce costs. For example, Hikari Denwa *, a BFLET’S-based IP (Internet protocol) telephony service, is beginning to spread rapidly thanks to its low
price and the convenience of using one’s existingphone number. It includes value-added services suchas “Double Channel,” which enables a single subscriber to make two calls at the same time on the sameline, and “My Number,” which provides subscribers
with up to five phone numbers. These two services
are becoming major products for multi-generation
homes and homes that double as business premises.
The dramatic growth in B-FLET’S services
requires extensive back-office functions to support
the provision of high-quality customer services. NTT
East is working to improve the service order system
so that the installation day can be decided immediately when a customer applies for B-FLET’S service
and to improve the operation system so that opticalcommunication lines can be opened in large numbers.
February marked the opening of the Hikari Support
Center to respond to system faults, provide setup
counseling, and quickly find solutions to customer
inquiries and requests. This support scheme will beexpanded to all service areas over time.
Towards the fulfillment of NTT Group’s
Medium-Term Management Strategy
This plan, announced in November 2004, calls for
30 million subscribers to optical IP services by 2010.
NTT East will construct a next-generation network(NGN) to accommodate this number of users. NGN
field trials are scheduled to be held for about one year
to identify technical problems and evaluate userneeds. Calls for participation in these trials will bemade to many parties including information-appliance vendors and service providers, and various
issues dealing with the provision of services fordiverse applications will be addressed in conjunction
with NTT (the holding company).
With fixed-mobile convergence services alreadystarting to be provided in parts of Europe and Korea,
Japan is also studying these services in earnest anddiscussing phone-number formats. NTT East will
promote early development with an eye to commercialization. Communications-broadcasting convergence is expected to lead to, amongst other things, IPbased retransmission of digital terrestrial broadcasts,
but technical issues such as efficient transfer and priority control of IP broadcast traffic must be solved.
NTT East will promote early studies on appropriate
systems and schemes.
Finally, to stay true to its brand motto of “safe andreliable,” NTT East unceasingly performs technology
evaluations to maintain high levels of network reliability and service quality. We will continue to promote the development of new technologies to ensurethat the company is always appreciated and trusted byits customers.
* Hikari means light and denwa means telephone in Japanese.