Japanese mobile carrier situation where only the models are lined up and the price chicken races | NIPPON.com

Cashback competition with three major mobile phones "homogenization"

Since NTT DoCoMo, the largest mobile phone in September 2013, began to handle the U.S. Apple's iPhone, the "homogenization" of three major mobile phones (telecommunications carriers) has become clear.

NTT DOCOMO, who did not handle the iPhone among the three major companies, began selling the iPhone, and the iPhone accounts for 68.7%share (Cantant Japan survey) for sale from November 2013 to January 2014.In the Japanese smartphone market, users are no longer choosing their careers based on their terminal lineup.The price plan was almost sideways, and the network quality was difficult for ordinary people to understand the difference, and from the user's point of view, each carrier, "Where to choose," fell into a situation where each carrier was afraid.

What broke out under that situation was the "cashback (cash reduction) competition".Each carrier has a cashback of tens of thousands of yen for users who have switched from other companies and signed a new contract with MNP (mobile phone number portability system).At one point, the amount of cashback expanded to more than 70,000 yen per unit.Some of the users went to the same career to the same career, and said that they went on a family trip with cash backed in cashback, or earned living expenses only for cashback.

For each company, cashbacks only worsen the financial situation, so they don't want to do it as much as possible.However, as long as the competitors are doing it, it is not possible to quit only in the company.There was a reason that if you actually implemented cashback, it would be a "positive drug" that could get a new contract, but you could not quit even if you wanted to quit.

From the user's point of view, cashback is an attractive measure for those who have a new contract, but there is no merit for those who have contracted the same career for a long time.The more exciting the cashback, the more dissatisfied from the long -term users.

Under such circumstances, in March 2014, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said "guidance" was provided on the Internet to stop cashback from mobile phones.Following the rumor that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications guidance by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "I can quit at the same time at the same time," the self -control mood has expanded among careers and dealers, and the cashback competition has ended.

NTT DOCOMO, the pioneer of all -you -can -eat calls

NTT DOCOMO started the cashback competition at the end of the competition.

On April 10, the company announced that it will introduce a new rate plan called "Kake -hodai" from June 1st, which will be fixed in domestic fixed and voice calls for mobile phones for 2,700 yen per month (conventional mobile phone).The phone is 2200 yen per month).In the new rate plan, in data communication, a mechanism that allows families to share the amount of packets.In addition, a price discount for long -term users is included.Many NTT DOCOMO users have been using it since the early days of mobile phones, and many families called "DOCOMO".So we created a new rate plan that is friendly to long -term users and family.

NTT DOCOMO introduced the iPhone in September 2013, but was struggling because it was unable to rewind in the inferior contractor's competition.NTT DOCOMO's sales of the iPhone, which were fully launched, was impractic, and has been introduced to the "full -rate of voice calls", which was unprecedented in Japan.

The impact of NTT DOCOMO's new rate plan to the industry was great.In fact, as soon as the reception of the new rate plan starts on May 15, the docomo shop is flooded with users who apply for a change plan change.On weekends, it was very crowded to wait three hours just by accepting it.In particular, the reactions of young people and corporate users who frequently make calls were good, and contractors from other carriers were leaked to NTT DOCOMO.

A new fee plan for 2700 yen per month is a price reduction for users who increase the number of telephones, but for those who say "I don't usually call much," the price increase.As for NTT DOCOMO, only users who have many phone calls switch to a new rate plan, it will act negatively in terms of profit.Therefore, it is a management issue how all the contractors contract a plan of 2,700 yen per month.At the moment, it has been steadily moving through 5 million contracts in about 50 days from the start of the new rate plan, and it seems that it is proceeding as NTT DOCOMO planned.

Softbank and KDDI follow

On the other hand, NTT DOCOMO saved his feet in the industry's second -largest KDDI and SoftBank Mobile, 3rd.Both companies were silent and not looking at their fingers, and announced a competition plan for NTT DOCOMO.He is desperate to stop the user's outflow.

According to KDDI President Koji Tanaka, the company's sales unit seemed to have begun with pleading from the company's sales unit that "the NTT DOCOMO's new rate plan is great.KDDI was planning to introduce a flat -rate plan around December 2014 with the start of "VOLTE (Volte = Voice Over LTE)", which flows voice calls on the network of the high -speed data communication "LTE".NTT DOCOMO was too large, so I had to go ahead at the start of August.

Softbank Mobile announced a new rate plan in January 2014.The title of "Innovative Price Plan ahead of the VOLTE era" can be made in a fixed amount up to 1000 times a month within 5 minutes, and a plan combined with data communication up to 7 gigabytes is 6980 yen per month.It was a fee.After the announcement, the user and online media pointed out that it was "high" and revised the price plan on April 1, but with the introduction of NTT DOCOMO, the new rate plan was withdrawn.On June 7, it was announced that it would introduce a price plan almost side by side with NTT DOCOMO in July.

The amount is excluding consumption tax, as of July 15, 2014

Price leader is from SoftBank to DoCoMo

Originally, SoftBank Mobile was going to keep other companies the same as SoftBank, by announcing a new rate plan ahead of other companies.If three companies are lined up in the company's advantageous rates, you can make a convenient way to make your company.The current SoftBank Mobile is a business structure that earns money in Japan and rebuilds the US sprints acquired by the company.Therefore, in Japan, we must avoid competition with other companies and make it as profitable as possible.

米国携帯業界3位のスプリントを再建するには、スプリント単体では難しく、4位のキャリアであるT-Mobile USを買収しないと「（米国2強の）AT&Tやベライゾンと対抗できない」（ソフトバンク孫正義社長）という。当然、仮にT-Mobile USを買収でき、2社を統合したとしても、当面は厳しい状態が続くのは間違いない。

SoftBank exceeded 1 trillion yen in operating income, reversing NTT DOCOMO, but interest -bearing debt exceeded 9 trillion yen.In order to rebuild the sprint, I want to make it a "composition that will definitely make a profit in Japan", and despite the announcement of new fees ahead of other companies, the NTT DOCOMO is overwhelmingly overwhelming Softbank and KDDI.I did.

Since SoftBank acquired the Japanese corporation in 2006, the Japanese mobile telecommunications industry, including the “White Plan” of 980 yen per month and exclusive sales of the iPhone, was mainly played by SoftBank, president of Son.However, KDDI, who started handling the iPhone in 2011, launched a "Smart Value" in 2012, which discounts fixed communication services and smartphones on optical fiber and cable TV in 2012, and does not have a home -owned optical line.Approximately.Furthermore, in 2014, NTT DOCOMO introduced a flat -rate call system, and the price leader in the current industry has become NTT DOCOMO.

In addition, in the fall of 2014, the set discount for NTT DOCOMO and NTT East and West Japan, which has been banned by the country, will begin set discounts (NTT DOCOMO President Kaoru Kato, President Kaoru Kato, set at the General Meeting of Shareholders on June 19.Expressed the policy of discount start).Since the NTT East and West optical line has an overwhelming share, there is a feeling that the NTT group's influence is likely to increase again.

Will competition be exciting with the spread of MVNO?

While the three major companies have decided to raise the price with the introduction of a flat -rate call, MVNO (virtual mobile telecommunications carrier) provides inexpensive communication services on lines borrowed from major companies.It is becoming popular because it costs about 2,000-3000 yen per month, including terminal costs and communication costs.

The boom was created by Aeon, a major distribution.Until now, the seniors who were interested in "smartphones are interested, but have been hesitant because of their high communication costs", and limited 8,000 cheap smartphones sold in April were sold out quickly.Aeon has caused a boom with a cheap smartphone, and major ISPs (Internet connection operators) and optical line operators are also focusing on promoting sales of cheap smartphones.

Meanwhile, an expert study meeting established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has announced that it will be a mobile carrier in fiscal 2015, which restricts the use of mobile terminals on other companies' lines.This is expected to work in advantage to MVNO.

At present, Japanese mobile carriers are three groups of NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, and SoftBank Group, and are said to be less likely to compete.In the past, the fourth company also entered the ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber) business, but the company was acquired by SoftBank in 2013 and entered the group.The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications seems to be trying to boost the competitive environment by spreading MVNOs and obligating the SIM unlocking, without being pleased with the three companies.

In the United States, many MVNOs are overwhelmed by the four major companies, and consumers have "freedom to choose."Even in Japan, how much MVNO will be supported by users is likely to be more attention.

(Title Photo = Kaoru Kato of NTT DOCOMO [April 10, 2014] to announce a new rate plan for a flat -rate voice call system [April 10, 2014])