About the Universal Service System

What is Universal Service?

This is a service that is defined by Article 7 of the Telecommunications Business Law as "requiring effort to be provided fairly and stably" as it is essential for the lives of the people and for which service should be provided throughout all of Japan.

The details are stipulated in a ministerial ordinance (Article 40-2 of the Telecommunications Business Law Enforcement Regulations), and the particulars include the basic fees for subscriber telephones, Type 1 public phones installed from the perspective of providing safety in society and the minimum means of communication outdoors, in addition to calls with outlying islands that are subject to special pricing and emergency numbers such as 110, 118 and 119.

What is the Universal Service System?

This is a system that mandates telecommunications carriers including NTT Communications to bear part of the expenses required for ensuring that universal services such as the subscriber phones, etc. provided by NTT East and NTT West are made available fairly and stably throughout all of Japan. The burden is calculated based on part of the costs for subscriber lines (basic fees) in high-cost regions such as outlying islands and mountainous areas, and the deficit created by Type 1 public phones.

History Behind the Implementation of Universal Service

In the past, universal service providers NTT East and NTT West bore all of the cost required for providing services. However, as it is believed that it will be difficult for NTT East and NTT West to maintain universal service of their own accord due to the decrease in fixed telephones, the spread of mobile phones and IP phones, the advancement of pricing competition, and revisions to basic fees, the system is now supported by all major fixed, mobile, PHS and IP telephone companies including NTT East and NTT West.

Structure of the Universal Service System

Based on the compensation provided to NTT East and NTT West, the Telecommunications Carriers Association, which is the organization supporting universal service, calculates the amount to be paid for each telephone number, and this is determined once approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Based on this unit price per number, telephone companies pay NTT East and NTT West through the organization supporting universal service according to the volume of telephone numbers used by their respective customers.

Customer Fees

In accordance with the intent of this Universal Service System, NTT Communications bills its customers a "Universal Service Fee" of 8.4 yen per month (incl. tax)¹ for each telephone number using those of our services subject to the system². We ask for your cooperation and understanding with regard to this matter.

1. Price per number until June 2009. This will be revised every six months thereafter.

2. Key NTT Communications services subject to the system are as follows.

Numbers	Principal Service Subscribers Subject to the System
Numbers beginning with 050	Customers subscribed to OCN .Phone, 050 Anshin Number, Windows Live Call by .Phone, OCN .Phone Office, 050 Business Dial, .Phone IP Centrex (including Click to Connect, Customer Connect, Web de Call, .Phone Direct, .Phone Ubiquitous, .Phone One Number and Biz Communicator), DreamNet Phone, etc.
Numbers beginning with 060	Customers subscribed to "function for calling mobile phones from fixed phones"using numbers beginning with 060 in services such as Shabericchi Plus and Home & Office Discount Plus, along with customers subscribed to e-Call
Numbers beginning with 070	Customers subscribed to Mobile/Remote Access (NTT Com Type, WILLCOM Model, NTT Com Mobile (W)) and Mobile Connect Carrier Free Solution Customers using .Phone Ubiquitous
Numbers beginning with 080 and 090	Customers subscribed to Mobile/Remote Access (docomo Model) and OCN High-speed Mobile EM* * Billing will begin for services used from February 2009
Numbers beginning with 0120	Customers subscribed to Freedial
Numbers beginning with 0570	Customers subscribed to Navidial and Mobile/Remote Access (NTT Com Type/ AIR-EDGE Type)
Numbers beginning with 0800	Customers subscribed to services providing discounts for "calls from mobile phones to fixed phones" using numbers beginning with 0800 in services such as Platinum Line, Shabericchi Plus and Home & Office Discount Plus, along with customers subscribed to Freedial
Numbers beginning with 03 and 06	Customers subscribed to Arcstar Direct, Hikari Line, .Phone IP Centrex, .Phone Direct, etc. Note: NTT Communications does not charge this fee for numbers beginning with area codes (03,06, etc.) except for services provided by NTT Communications, such as Arcstar Direct, Hikari Line, .Phone IP Centrex and .Phone Direct.
Numbers beginning with 0035	Customers subscribed to MOVE, MOVE Light , Dup Transfer (for corporate customers), etc.
10-digit customer numbers beginning with 003502 and followed by 400 or 500	Customers subscribed to iFAX (Internet connection type and leased line connection type). Note: FAX connection type is not affected.