Japan’s Docomo Embarks on Aggressive Cuts to Wireless Plans



Article summary
NTT Docomo Inc. unveiled a deeply discounted mobile plan for voice and data services, undercutting many of its rivals in response to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s push to lower phone tariffs. Docomo, which is being acquired by parent Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. in a deal worth about 4.25 trillion yen ($40.7 billion), will offer 20 gigabytes of data for 2,980 yen for customers using 4G and 5G starting in March, the carrier said in a statement Thursday. […] As the formal national monopoly, the move by the merged NTT and Docomo will most likely trigger greater competition in Japan’s mobile market. […] NTT Chief Executive Officer Jun Sawada had flagged that a tariff cut was in the works when announcing the mega-merger with NTT Docomo. Suga has made reducing phone bills charged by Docomo and Japan’s other major carriers an early priority of his administration, with data-heavy users in Tokyo paying more than three times for a 20GB contract than those in Paris.