Japan Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 3 Jan 2025 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 227

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Japan nears full fibre network coverage

Japan has one of the most modern telecom markets globally, with a particularly strong fibre broadband sector. Compared to many other countries in Europe and Asia, the country was slow to take advantage of LTE, relying for a greater length of time on legacy 3G networks and incremental technology upgrades. The government learned from this, and was keen to promote 5G as a means to ensure that the country could take full advantage in terms of social inclusion and economic development. To this end, additional spectrum was made available for 5G use, while MNOs were also offered subsidies to ensure that the platform was available in outlying areas which may otherwise be commercially unfavourable. The government has similarly promoted 6G developments, with NTT DoCoMo in particular being at the forefront in global efforts to standardise the associated technologies.

The fixed broadband market is dominated by fibre, with almost 99.9% of premises having been covered by fibre networks by the end of 2024. Again, the government has provided subsidies to fibre providers to ensure than coverage is extended to the less commercially viable areas. To cover maritime and mountainous zones, telcos such as SoftBank have contracts with satellite providers including Eutelsat and Starlink.

The mobile market is dominated by three MNOs (NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, and SoftBank Mobile). Rakuten Mobile also has a market presence, though the company continues to struggle with attracting subscribers, while its financial position remains precarious and a drain on its parent company Rakuten Group. The company continues to build out its network, and while it is focussed of providing 5G services in the major metro areas it relies on roaming agreements to offer services elsewhere. Rakuten Mobile has recently benefited from a streamlined mobile number portability process, which came into effect in May 2023.

Key Developments

NTT, KDDI, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile start collaborating on efforts to repair networks following natural disasters.
Eutelsat and Softbank sign multi-year deal enabling Softbank will use OneWeb’s network to provide coverage to its customers in remote areas.
Government defers on decision to scrap a law imposing restrictions on NTT.
NTT DoCoMo increases commercial 5G SA speeds to 6.6Gb/s.
SoftBank switches off 3G services.
Report update includes telcos operating and financial data to September 2024, the regulator’s market updates for Q3 2024, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

NTT, KDDI, SoftBank Mobile, Internet Initiative Japan, eAccess, eMobile, Rakuten, IIJ, JCI, Line Mobile

Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Telecommunications market

Market overview and analysis

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority

MPHPT/MIC
Radio Regulatory Council
Telecommunications Council
Telecommunications Carriers Association
Japan Internet Providers’ Association (JAIPA)
Legislation

Fixed-line developments

Government investment in infrastructure
Skill building, education, and demand programs
Competition policy
Network non-discrimination
Spectrum policy
Broadband policy
Wholesale / Pricing
Access
Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
MYLINE calling categories

Mobile network developments

Fees for mobile services
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Licensing and spectrum auctions

Mobile market

Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

6G
5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM
Other infrastructure developments
M-payment

Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

NTT DoCoMo
KDDI
SoftBank Mobile
Rakuten Mobile
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO)

Fixed-line broadband market

Market overview and analysis
Fixed broadband statistics
Fixed broadband technologies

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Fixed wireless
Other fixed broadband services

Fixed broadband providers

NTT East and West
KDDI
G.fast
Other providers

Fixed network operators

NTT Corporation
KDDI Corporation
SoftBank Corporation
Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ)

Telecommunications infrastructure

Overview of the national telecom network
NTT NGN
Submarine cables

Hokkaido-Sakhalin Cable System (HSCS)
Russia-Japan Cable Network (RJCN)
Trans-Pacific Express Cable Network (TPE)
Pacific Crossing (PC-1)
Google investments
Asia Submarine Express (ASE)
Asia Pacific Gateway (APG)
South-East Asia Japan Cable (SJC)
South East Asia-Japan 2 Cable (SJC2)
Japan-US Cable
Myanmar/Malaysia-India-Singapore Transit (MIST)
Apricot
Far North Fiber (FNF)

Satellite
Data centres
Smart infrastructure

Driverless cars
Smart grids
Smart cities
Kawasaki

Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – 2025 (e)
Table 2 – Increase in the number of telecom carriers – 2015 – 2023
Table 3 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Table 4 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 5 – Development of telecom revenue and capex (¥ billion) – 2016 – 2022
Table 6 – Change in voice traffic by type (100 million calls) – 2015 – 2021
Table 7 – Change in Japan’s 5G base station market size – 2020 – 2026
Table 8 – Increase in KDDI’s 5G penetration rate – 2021 – 2024
Table 9 – Increase in the number of NTT’s 5G subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Table 10 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s 5G base stations – 2020 – 2023
Table 11 – Change in the number of LTE subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Table 12 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s LTE base stations and population coverage – 2020 – 2023
Table 13 – Growth in the number of KDDI’s au PAY members – 2019 – 2024
Table 14 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 15 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by platform– 2017 – 2023
Table 16 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator (million) – 2010 – 2024
Table 17 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2013 – 2024
Table 18 – Development of NTT DoCoMo’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2010 – 2024
Table 19 – Change in NTT DoCoMo’s ARPU by type (¥ / month) – 2017 – 2024
Table 20 – Change in the number of NTT DoCoMo’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Table 21 – Change in the number of NTT DoCoMo’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2011 – 2024
Table 22 – Change in KDDI’s mobile ARPU and churn rate – 2019 – 2024
Table 23 – Change in KDDI’s mobile revenue – 2021 – 2025
Table 24 – Growth in the number of KDDI’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Table 25 – Growth in the number of KDDI’s smartphone subscribers – 2023 – 2024
Table 26 – Change in the number of SoftBank subscribers by segment (million) – 2011 – 2024
Table 27 – Development of SoftBank’s financial data (¥ million) – 2018 – 2025
Table 28 – Development of SoftBank’s EBITDA (¥ billion) – 2018 – 2025
Table 29 – Change in SoftBank’s consumer service revenue by type (¥ billion) – 2018 – 2025
Table 30 – Change in SoftBank’s annualised mobile ARPU and churn rate – 2014 – 2025
Table 31 – Development of Rakuten Mobile’s mobile financial data (¥ million) – 2018 – 2024
Table 32 – Development of Rakuten Mobile’s mobile ARPU – 2020 – 2024
Table 33 – Development of Rakuten Mobile’s consumer business mobile ARPU by service (¥ / month) – 2020 – 2024
Table 34 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s consumer business mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2020 – 2024
Table 35 – Development of IIJ’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2010 – 2025
Table 36 – Development of IIJ’s mobile revenue by segment (¥ billion) – 2020 – 2025
Table 37 – Growth in the number of IIJ’s mobile subscribers by type – 2019 – 2024
Table 38 – Change in the number of IIJ’s consumer and enterprise internet subscribers – 2009 – 2024
Table 39 – Development of JCI’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2010 – 2025
Table 40 – Development of Line Mobile’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2015 – 2020
Table 41 – Growth in the number of Line Mobile’s subscribers – 2014 – 2020
Table 42 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 43 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 2011 – 2023
Table 44 – Fall in the number of HFC broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2023
Table 45 – Increase in the number of KDDI’s cable broadband RGUs and connected households (million) – 2010 – 2024
Table 46 – Fall in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2023
Table 47 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2023
Table 48 – Change in the number of UQ Communications’ fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2024
Table 49 – Change in the number of NTT’s fixed broadband subscribers by segment (million) – 2015 – 2024
Table 50 – Increase in the number of KDDI’s FttP subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Table 51 – NTT Corp’s major shareholders – September 2024
Table 52 – Development of NTT Corp’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2011 – 2025
Table 53 – Development of NTT Corp’s revenue by business segment (¥ billion) – 2022 - 2025
Table 54 – Development of NTT Corp’s capex by business segment (¥ billion) – 2022 - 2025
Table 55 – Change in the number of NTT Corp’s fixed-line subscribers by service (million)– 2015 – 2024
Table 56 – Development of KDDI’s financial data (¥ billion) – 2011 – 2025
Table 57 – Change in KDDI’s fixed-line revenue – 2021 – 2025
Table 58 – Change in KDDI’s capex by sector (¥ billion) – 2011 – 2025
Table 59 – Change in the number of IIJ’s fixed IP contracts by data rate – 2017 – 2024
Table 60 – Increase in IIJ’s contracted bandwidth – 2016 – 2024
Table 61 – Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 62 – Change in the number of fixed-line subscribers by type (thousand) – 2013 – 2022
Table 63 – Decline in fixed-line voice traffic by type (100 million calls) – 2015 – 2021
Table 64 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2017
Table 65 – International activated internet bandwidth – 2010 – 2022
Table 66 – Change in the value of Japan’s data centre market (¥ billion) – 2022 – 2027
Table 67 – Historic - Carrier share of mobile telephone and PHS market – 2004 – 2011
Table 68 – Historic - NTT DoCoMo ARPU (¥/month) and churn – 2004 – 2017
Table 69 – Historic - NTT DoCoMo revenue, net income, capex, and EBITDA (¥ billion) – 2005 – 2010
Table 70 – Historic - KDDI - ARPU (¥ / month) and churn – 2001 – 2017
Table 71 – Historic - SoftBank financial data (¥ billion) – 1995 – 2010
Table 72 – Historic - SoftBank mobile ARPU and churn – 2004 – 2010
Table 73 – Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 1998 – 2010
Table 74 – Historic - Fixed broadband subscriber annual change / market share by access type – 2001 – 2015
Table 75 – Historic - NTT Broadband subscribers (million) and market share by segment – 2004 – 2018
Table 76 – Historic - Japan FttH subscribers by operator and market share – 2017
Table 77 – Historic - Japan FttH subscribers and penetration – 2002 – 2010
Table 78 – Historic – KDDI’s DSL and FttP subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 79 – Historic - NTT financial data – 2000 – 2010
Table 80 – Historic - NTT video service subscribers – 2009 – 2017
Table 81 – Historic - KDDI financial data – 2001 – 2010
Table 82 – Historic - KDDI total capital expenditure on mobile and fixed line (¥ billion) – 2005 – 2010
Table 83 – Historic - IIJ revenue and net income (¥ million) – 2006 – 2010
Table 84 – Historic - Fixed line - Subscribers and penetration – 1993 – 2010
Table 85 – Historic - Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2007 – 2010
Table 86 – Historic - KDDI mobile subscribers – 2004 – 2010
Table 87 – Historic - SoftBank subscribers (millions) by segment – 2007 – 2010
Table 88 – Historic - Internet Users and Penetration – 2007 – 2010
Table 89 – Historic - Total international internet bandwidth – 2007 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Asia – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Northern Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Central Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – South East Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Northern Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Central Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 11 – South East Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 12 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2012 – 2022
Chart 13 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 14 – Development of telecom revenue and capex – 2016 – 2022
Chart 15 – Change in voice traffic by type – 2015 – 2021
Chart 16 – Increase in the number of NTT’s 5G subscribers – 2020 – 2024
Chart 17 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s 5G base stations – 2020 – 2023
Chart 18 – Change in the number of LTE subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Chart 19 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s LTE base stations and population coverage – 2020 – 2023
Chart 20 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 21 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by platform– 2017 – 2023
Chart 22 – Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator – 2010 – 2024
Chart 23 – Market share of mobile subscribers by operators – 2013 – 2024
Chart 24 – Development of NTT DoCoMo’s financial data – 2010 – 2024
Chart 25 – Change in NTT DoCoMo’s ARPU by type – 2017 – 2024
Chart 26 – Change in the number of NTT DoCoMo’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Chart 27 – Change in the number of NTT DoCoMo’s mobile subscribers by type – 2011 – 2024
Chart 28 – Growth in the number of KDDI’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Chart 29 – Change in the number of SoftBank subscribers by segment – 2011 – 2024
Chart 30 – Development of SoftBank’s financial data – 2018 – 2025
Chart 31 – Development of SoftBank’s EBITDA (¥ billion) – 2018 – 2025
Chart 32 – Change in SoftBank’s consumer service revenue by type – 2018 – 2025
Chart 33 – Development of Rakuten Mobile’s mobile ARPU – 2020 – 2024
Chart 34 – Development of Rakuten Mobile’s consumer business mobile ARPU by service – 2020 – 2024
Chart 35 – Increase in the number of Rakuten Mobile’s consumer business mobile subscribers by type – 2020 – 2024
Chart 36 – Development of IIJ’s revenue and EBITDA – 2010 – 2025
Chart 37 – Development of IIJ’s mobile revenue by segment – 2020 – 2025
Chart 38 – Growth in the number of IIJ’s mobile subscribers by type – 2019 – 2024
Chart 39 – Change in the number of IIJ’s consumer and enterprise internet subscribers – 2009 – 2024
Chart 40 – Development of JCI’s financial data – 2010 – 2025
Chart 41 – Line mobile financial data – 2015 – 2020
Chart 42 – Growth in the number of Line Mobile’s subscribers – 2014 – 2020
Chart 43 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 44 – Fixed broadband subscribers by access type – 2011 – 2023
Chart 45 – Fall in the number of HFC broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2023
Chart 46 – Increase in the number of KDDI’s cable broadband RGUs and connected households– 2010 – 2024
Chart 47 – Fall in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2017 – 2023
Chart 48 – Growth in the number of fibre broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2023
Chart 49 – Change in the number of UQ Communications’ fixed wireless broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2024
Chart 50 – Change in the number of NTT’s fixed broadband subscribers by segment – 2015 – 2024
Chart 51 – Increase in the number of KDDI’s FttP subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Chart 52 – Development of NTT Corp’s financial data – 2011 – 2025
Chart 53 – Change in the number of NTT Corp’s fixed-line subscribers by service– 2015 – 2024
Chart 54 – Development of KDDI’s financial data – 2011 – 2025
Chart 55 – Change in KDDI’s capex by sector – 2011 – 2025
Chart 56 – Change in the number of IIJ’s fixed IP contracts by data rate – 2017 – 2024
Chart 57 – Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 58 – Change in the number of fixed-line subscribers by type – 2013 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Asia
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Asia – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Asia – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Asia – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – NTT Group’s restructure – March 2022
Exhibit 7 – SoftBank’s operations
Exhibit 8 – Major global/regional submarine cables with landing point in Japan

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Japan Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Japan nears full fibre network coverage

Key Developments

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Asia market comparison

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views