SoftBank to unleash its lowest mobile rates in race with Docomo

Nikkei -- Dec 22
Japanese telecom company SoftBank Corp. will launch a wireless plan in March offering 20 gigabytes of data for 2,980 yen ($29) per month, matching a recent move by market leader NTT Docomo.

The package to be announced Tuesday will be SoftBank's cheapest package, costing less than half as much as the company's 8,480 yen 50 GB plan.

SoftBank had unveiled a low-cost plan under its Y!Mobile budget brand in October as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government pressed the telecom industry to bring down mobile service rates.

But the Dec. 3 announcement of Docomo's new "ahamo" plan, which offers large amounts of data at rates well below the industry standard in Japan, put pressure on SoftBank to follow suit.

Under SoftBank's new plan, which costs 33% less than its budget brand, subscribers will be able to use both 4G and 5G networks, and make phone calls lasting up to five minutes for free.

- Nikkei

ソフトバンクは、月額2980円の新料金プランを提供する方針を固めました。関係者によりますと、ソフトバンクは、傘下の格安スマホ会社『LINEモバイル』を吸収合併し、20ギガバイト2980円の新なプランを立ち上げます。今月3日にNTTドコモが発表した『ahamo（アハモ）』への対抗が狙いで、詳しいプランの内容については、22日に発表される予定です。一方で、KDDIも新たな値下げの方針をすでに固めていて、ドコモの動きをきっかけに値下げ競争が活発化しています。 - ANNnewsCH

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