BBPhone Rates to Mobile Phones

Mobile Phone Types

Mobile phones in Japan are called "keitai denwa" or just "keitai." Keitai literally means "small body" and denwa means telephone. There are two types of keitai phones in use in Japan: cell and PHS.

Cell phones are standard mobile phones that work on cellular networks. The most important aspect of a cellular network is that users can move while using the phone and the signal automatically transfers from the antenna in one cell to the antenna in the next cell. PHS phones are actually just high-powered cordless phones and, as such, tied to one antenna. If the user moves out of the range on the antenna, the call is cut off.

The word "cell" is not generally used in Japan. Cell phones are usually just called "keitai" and PHS phones are called "PHS keitai" or "Handy keitai." The difference between cell and PHS phones are not well understood, however, and PHS phones are generally also just called "keitai."

The phones themselves are identical in general appearance. The easiest way to distinguish between them is by the phone numbers assigned to them. Cell phone numbers start with "080" or "090." PHS phone numbers start with "070."

Calling Rates

The cost of calls made to mobile phones from telephones plugged into Yahoo! BB modems depends on whether the mobile is a cell or PHS phone.

Calls to Cell phones

The standard rate to call cell phones (090 & 080 numbers) is as follows:

Day & evening (8:00-23:00): ¥25 yen/minute
Late Night: (23:00-8:00): ¥20 yen/minute

If you sign up for Yahoo! BB's "Keitai30" discount plan you will get a 30% reduction of the above rates. Rates with Keitai30 discount plan:

Day & evening (8:00-23:00): ¥17.5 yen/minute
Late Night: (23:00-8:00): ¥14 yen/minute

Keitai30 costs ¥525 per month* so it will save you money if the calls you make to cell phones on average more than 3 minutes per day.

*Keitai30 is actually just one element of the "BBPhone Option Pack" which is ¥525/month. The Option Pack also includes number display and call forwarding at that price.

Calls to PHS Phones

Calls to PHS phones (070 numbers) are less expensive. There is a ¥10 connection charge and then it's ¥10 per minute (to anywhere in Japan).

Calls to Mobile Phones Outside Japan

The charge for calls to mobile phones outside Japan is the same as for calls to land-lines in whichever country you are calling. See the Yahoo! BB International Calling Rates page for those rates. That page lists country code on the left of the country name and price per one minute on the right.

Hope this helps.

Jimmie