NTT Telephone Subscription Rights
About NTT
NTT is Japan's Original Landline Telephone Service Provider providing residential and business services for over 100 years.
Subscription Right System
Until late in the 20th century, before telephone service would be connected by NTT, it was necessary in Japan to buy a Telephone Subscription Right. Purchase of the Subscription Right has generally been called "buying a phone line" by foreign residents of Japan. The purchase of Subscription Rights is no longer required but, if you do own one, the monthly basic telephone fee is less (¥263/month as of 2008).
Subscription Rights may be purchased directly from NTT or you may buy them second-hand "on the street" from users who no longer need them or or from dealers. NTT charged ¥75,600 (including tax) for Subscription Rights until 2005 when the price was reduced by 50% to ¥37,800. From the 1980's through the mid-90's, the street price generally ranged from ¥40,000 to ¥50,000.
In the late 1990's the requirement to "own" a Subscription Right was dropped when NTT began to make "Lite Plan" telephone service available. Under the Lite Plan, instead of buying a Subscription Right, you could choose to pay a monthly surcharge. At that time, street prices began to drop. Later the drop accelerated when NTT's official price was halved. By 2007, the street price for phone lines (Rights) had plunged to ¥10,000 and less.
Buying Phone Lines
(Regular Lines)
As of Oct. 1, 2008, BBapply is offering Subcription Rights for ¥9,224 (inc. tax, ¥6,685), for "Regular" Phone lines. The Subscription Rights are guaranteed 'clean' (no outstanding bills) and, because BBapply is an NTT agent, application for telephone service may be made online (in English) without the need for a visit to NTT to make the transfer.
If you purchase a Right for ¥9,685, the break-even point is about 34 months (9,685/263 = 36.83). Of course, you may be able to sell the Right when you stop using the line and get some portion of the price back, making it worthwhile for even shorter use periods.
Service without A Subscription Right
(Lite Lines)
Users who do not wish to buy a "Regular" line (Subscription Right) may obtain "NTT Lite Plan" telephone service. Lite service is essentially the same as Regular service but there is a ¥263 yen/month surcharge above the usual monthly basic fee. Some of the other differences between Regular and Lite Plan service are noted below.
Differences in Service
Two notable differences between Regular and Lite service, besides the price, are transfer and prorating. Regular service may be transfered to another user (i.e., change the name on a certain phone number) but Lite may not--if the name is changed, the number is lost. Also, with Lite service, there is no prorating for partial months when the service is cancelled.
Apply for NTT telephone service
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