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Internet Services in Tokyo
Whether you want to surf the internet for business or pleasure it is one of the things you will probably want to get set up as soon as possible. You will need to choose an ISP (Internet Service Provider), and what type of connection you would like to use. Other than dial-up, ISDN connection, or wireless PC Cards (which are very expensive and slow), there are basically three ways to connect: ADSL, Cable, and Hikari Fibre. ADSL ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is similar to DSL in the US and is by far the most widely used service in Japan. ADSL is relatively cheap when compared with other services, and faster than both Dial-up and ISDN. ADSL services come in many speed offerings – from 1.5mb/s to the speedy 50mb/s. ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is similar to DSL in the US and is by far the most widely used service in Japan. ADSL is relatively cheap when compared with other services, and faster than both Dial-up and ISDN. ADSL services come in many speed offerings – from 1.5mb/s to the speedy 50mb/s. How to Apply for ADSL 1. Contact your provider and ask for an ADSL application form or use an online form. 2. Choose your desired speed and send the application form back online, by fax, or regular mail. The provider will then send you a password and ID by post. 3. The provider will send you a modem 4. The provider will send you the date that your internet service will start. On that date you simply connect the modem to your PC, (see diagram below) Note: this process usually takes about 2 weeks depending on the provider. Initial fee to get ADSL ¥5,000 – ¥14,000 ADSL Internet package ¥4.000 – ¥8,000/month Pros: Relatively cheap, speedy, with lots of different providers to choose from. Cons: Very sensitive to noise, (static), resulting in inconsistent speeds. Connection can be confusing since there are multiple providers (ISPs and phone companies) Note: Speeds varies slightly based on your proximity to a telephone exchange NTT Center (generally speaking the further away the slower). ADSL Internet Service Providers Fusion GOL (English Site) GOL is a fully bilingual internet service provider based in Tokyo with access throughout Japan.		Yahoo B.B. (English Site) BBapply is an English application website for Yahoo!BB Asahi Net Inc. (English Site) AT&T,Japan (English Site) OCN - Open Computer Network (English Site) ODN (English Site) NTT (English Site) eAccess (English Site) Cable Modem Cable Internet service can be very fast depending on which network you are connected to. The speeds vary from 3mb to 30mb/s. Cable modems are great for streaming content, such as video or net-radio as they are quite stable. It can be cheaper if you buy a package with cable TV and internet bundled together. When having your cable internet installed you will need to specify which room or rooms you want to have connected for not all jacks in your apartment will necessarily be an internet connection unless requested. How to Apply for Cable Internet If your building is already wired for internet cable service, (most newer buildings are), getting the service is quite easy. You need only contact your local cable company, fill out an application, and wait for installation. Note: If your building already has this service this process usually takes a few days to one week. Initial fees to get cable internet ¥8,000 and up Initial fee to get cable TV and internet ¥10,000 – ¥16,000 Cable internet package ¥3.500 – ¥6,000 /month Cable internet and TV package Approx. ¥10,000/month Pros: Somewhat speedy, more stable than ADSL, can be quite easy to apply for and offers packages with cable TV and internet at a slight discount. Cons: Slightly more expensive than ADSL with less providers to choose from.Cable Internet Providers Minato Cable TV (English site) 0120-371-049 (Toll-Free in English) ITS Communications - Shibuya-Ku, Meguro-Ku, Setagaya-Ku, Shinagawa-Ku (part), Ota-Ku (part) 044-820-7535 (English) Cable TV Shinagawa - Shinagawa (part) 03-3788-3811(English) Ota Cable TV - Ota-Ku (part) 03-5711-0711 (English) Shinjuku Cable TV (English site) 0120-037-109 (Toll-Free in English) J-com (English site) Hikari-Fiber Fiber-optic or “Hikari-Fiber” as it’s known in Japan, is the current speed king. Having a fiber-optic system installed in your home will require that you contact your building owner, and a Hikari provider to see if your area has access to the service. Where as Dial-up, ADSL and Cable use existing lines, Hikari-Fiber is a relatively new system and one that has not been implemented widely. The fiber-optic network for this service is provided by TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company). One great benefit of using Hikari fiber is that your line will nearly always be stable. You can expect consistent transfer times, and incredibly fast loading times of up to 100mb/s on the internet. How to Apply for Hikari-Fiber Basically the setup process is very similar to ADSL and Cable but you will need to check with your building management and a provider first to see if this service is available in your building. Note: Many of the newest buildings in central Tokyo already have this network and service available so getting setup is quite easy. If your building already has this service this process usually takes about one month to have installed.		Initial fees to get Hikari-Fiber Up to approx. ¥30,000 Hikari-Fiber internet package Approx. ¥3.000 – ¥5,000 /month Hikari-Fiber internet and TV package Approx. ¥7.000 – ¥10,000 /month Pros: Fastest Speeds, and the most stable, depending on your distance from the trunk line. Thanks to recent campaigns this service has become as cheap or cheaper than ADSL and Cable and includes TV packages at discounted rates. Cons: Unless your building is already “wired” with fiber-optic lines then this service is very difficult and expensive to have installed. Fiber Optic Service Providers Asahi Net Inc. (English Site) DION (English Site) Fusion GOL (English Site) OCN - Open Computer Network (English Site) Usen - (Japanese Site) Making Payments After a month or two you will need to start making monthly payments. Direct Withdrawal from your back account is the most common way to pay almost any bill in Japan. You will need to have an application for direct withdrawal sent to you by your service provider, and it will take a couple of months for the automatic payments to begin so until then you will be sent bills in the mail. Bills received in the mail can be paid in cash at a convenience store or bank. Perhaps the easiest way to make payments is by major credit card, (especially if you haven’t set up a bank card yet). Installing a Telephone Purchasing A Phone Line Japan’s fixed line system traditionally required the purchase of a phone line (technically speaking a “right” to install a phone). This non-refundable “right” is however transferable for a small fee and trades at a significant discount through brokers or agents. As such few people will actually purchase it directly from NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) who charge about ¥70,000 for the new line or “right”. You also have the option of buying a line directly from a broker or at an online auction or renting a line from NTT for ¥640 per month on top of your regular phone bill. Buying a Phone Buying a telephone is as simple as going to the closest electronics store and selecting the model you prefer. IP Phone Another option which is becoming very popular is to have an IP-phone account set up with your internet provider. This service allows for calls to be made through the internet using a regular house phone. The calls are routed through an IP-phone capable modem instead of using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The Internet uses IP (Internet Protocol), which breaks data (and voice signals) down into very small pieces so that it can be transferred through the Internet. The IP Phone service costs much less on a per call basis, (calls within Japan or overseas are about 50% - 60% cheaper). In fact calls to other IP-phones on the NTT network are FREE. One drawback of the system is that IP-phones cannot connect to emergency numbers such as 110 (Fire) and 119(Japan’s version of 911), or toll free numbers that begin with 0120 and 0570. Calling these numbers will require that you switch the IP service off. This is done with a switch on the back of the modem.