Japan telecommunications at the crossroads

Changes introduced into telecommunications by digital technology since 1985, (when the Japanese Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corp. was turned from a Government-owned monopoly to a private company, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT)) have led to a call for completely revamped approach. The main concern is to solve the problems of unequal competitive conditions existing between new common carriers and a single dominant carrier. The nature of the abovementioned changes is examined, and a proposal to split NTT into one local telephone company and one toll company is discussed, focusing on its possible effects.<>