Strategic shift by major carriers toward strengthening non-telecommunications services

「In addition, telecommunications carriers are strengthening services linked to customers’ broader economic ecosystems, including points programs and financial services such as credit cards, alongside their pricing plans, making competition for customer acquisition increasingly diverse. As a result, the role expected of stores and their operating formats are also changing, and stores are increasingly required to provide customer-focused proposals and diversify revenue opportunities beyond product sales and contract procedures.」

「Competition among telecommunications operators through services linked to customers' broader economic ecosystems, including points programs, credit cards and other financial services, is intensifying further, and stores are changing their operating models as they are increasingly required to go beyond product sales and deepen customer-led business development.」

「In the mobile phone industry, various content and services, in addition to voice services, are being enhanced daily. Expectations are rising for further improvements in practicality and convenience, including with the emergence of AI-equipped smartphones. At the same time, changes in the sales environment, including longer replacement cycles resulting from higher device prices and developments in measures and amendments to laws by communications providers, require close monitoring. Competition among communications providers is also intensifying through services linked to customers' economic spheres, including points programs, credit cards and other financial services. Store operations are changing as stores are expected to deepen their customer-oriented business development further, rather than limiting their role to merchandise sales.」

「In the mobile phone industry, migration to 5G through services such as 5G SA (Standalone), which enables users to fully benefit from telecommunications capabilities, is progressing. At the same time, the operating environment is changing, including efforts by telecommunications operators to promote the use of online service channels, revisions to caps on sales commissions and longer device replacement cycles as device prices rise. In addition, competition is expected to expand through services linked to customers' broader economic ecosystems, including points programs, credit cards and other financial services offered by telecommunications operators, while stores are being required to shift from their previous focus on product sales to customer-led businesses.」

「In addition, competition is expected to expand through services linked to customers' broader economic ecosystems, including points programs, credit cards and other financial services offered by telecommunications operators, while stores are being required to shift from their previous focus on product sales to customer-led businesses.」

「Meanwhile, the operating environment is changing, including revisions by telecommunications operators to commission terms, greater use of online service channels and the optimization of carrier stores, and stores are being required to shift from their previous focus on product sales to a customer-led business.」

「In the mobile phone industry, expectations are rising for more active communications services through 5G SA (StandAlone), which can fully deliver 5G communications capabilities, and “Beyond 5G,” the next-generation communications infrastructure announced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Meanwhile, the operating environment is changing as communications providers revise commission terms, promote the use of online service counters, and consolidate and streamline carrier stores.」

「Meanwhile, the operating environment has changed substantially, including revisions by telecommunications operators to commission terms, greater use of online service channels and the consolidation of carrier stores.」

「The operating environment has changed significantly, with communications providers revising commission terms, promoting the use of online service counters, and announcing policies to consolidate and streamline carrier stores.」

「As the mobile phone industry undergoes major changes, including the growing adoption of 5G services, the spread of compatible devices, the launch of new brands by telecommunications carriers and the introduction of new plans by MVNOs, expectations are rising for expanded 5G service areas through further base-station development and the emergence of related new services.」

「In the mobile phone industry, the sector is undergoing major transformation as 5G services become more widespread, communications carriers launch new brands and plans, and MVNOs respond by introducing new plans. As users gain more choices, improving customer-support quality and services and raising customer satisfaction, including through expanded use of online service counters, have become increasingly important.」

「In the mobile phone industry, the sector is undergoing major transformation as 5G services become more widespread, new communications providers enter the market, and each company launches new brands in response to the government's call for lower mobile phone charges. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, improving customer-support quality and services and raising customer satisfaction, including by encouraging the use of online service counters under the theme of “contactless” service, have become increasingly important for customer acquisition.」

「A slowdown in price competition due to caps on device discounts under the amended Telecommunications Business Act and revisions to plans separating telecommunications and devices, the entry of new telecommunications operators, the introduction of 5G services, and government calls for lower mobile phone charges, among other factors」

「In the mobile phone industry, demand for smartphones and tablets has run its course and unit sales have stagnated. As the commercial launch of 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications system) services approached, the 3 major carriers focused on creating innovative services closely connected to subscribers' lives and corporate activities, and competition increasingly shifted into non-communications fields.」

「In the mobile phone industry, demand for smartphones and tablets has run its course and unit sales have stagnated. As the 2020 launch of commercial 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications system) services approached, the 3 major carriers focused on creating innovative services closely connected to subscribers' lives and corporate activities, and competition increasingly shifted into non-communications fields.」

「In the mobile phone industry, demand for smartphones and tablets has run its course and unit sales have stagnated. As the 2020 launch of commercial 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications system) services approached, the 3 major carriers focused on creating innovative services closely connected to subscribers' lives and corporate activities, and competition increasingly shifted into non-communications fields.」

「In the mobile phone industry, amendments to the Telecommunications Business Act are expected to prohibit discounts on devices bundled with line contracts and require the provision of separate plans that separate device prices from communications charges. In addition, Rakuten, Inc. (hereinafter, “Rakuten”) is expected to enter the market as a carrier with its own communications infrastructure in October 2019, and competition is expected to intensify further.」

「In the mobile phone industry, measures to compete with the rapidly growing MVNO market have increased the number of users of low-cost services offered by major carriers. At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has called for lower mobile phone charges. The challenge is to expand revenue and create revenue opportunities based on the customer base by providing existing users with enhanced services and content.」

「In the mobile phone industry, measures to compete with the rapidly growing MVNO market have increased the number of users of low-cost services offered by major carriers. The challenge is to expand revenue and maintain a highly profitable business structure by providing existing users with enhanced services and content.」

「In the mobile phone industry, measures to compete with the rapidly growing MVNO market have increased the number of users of low-cost services offered by major carriers. The challenge is to expand revenue and maintain a highly profitable business structure by providing existing users with enhanced services and content.」

「A clear trend has emerged among major carriers, whose strategies were forced to change by a series of measures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, toward restoring competitiveness by shifting to a strategy of strengthening non-telecommunications services based on their existing user bases.」

「Among the 3 major carriers forced to change strategy by a series of measures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, including the ban on effectively free device sales and the introduction of pricing plans for light users, a clear trend has emerged toward restoring competitiveness by shifting from a low-price strategy to one focused on strengthening non-telecommunications services based on their existing user bases.」

「Among the 3 major carriers forced to change strategy by a series of measures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, including the ban on effectively free device sales and the introduction of pricing plans for light users, a clear trend has emerged toward restoring competitiveness by shifting from a low-price strategy to one focused on strengthening non-telecommunications services based on their existing user bases.」

「Among the 3 major carriers forced to change strategy by a series of measures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, including the ban on effectively free device sales and the introduction of pricing plans for light users, a clear trend has emerged toward restoring competitiveness by shifting from a low-price strategy to one focused on strengthening non-telecommunications services based on their existing user bases.」