French online high-tech magazine / price comparator Clubic has published an interesting article on FTTH in Japan written by a French journalist living over there. It's not analytical, but the factual aspects are very interesting and detailed. Unfortunately, it's in French, but I have asked Clubic for an authorisation to translate it, we'll see how that goes. The main facts I carry away after reading:
- Fiber operators in Japan are going through a real price war, undercutting each other with promotional offers galore. Triple play is the norm, with a nominal price for 100/100 internet, IP Phone and IP TV for ebout 59 EUR/month.
- Fiber operators offer or dicount devices in order to acquire customers (games consiles, ipods, etc.) and advertising is ubiquitous and aggressive. Their acquisition costs must be through the roof!
- NTT is deploying NGN at its core (in ways similar to BT's 21 CN) with the hope of attracting more customers through better QoS and more integrated services.
