A public consultation on the final draft of a revision of the NTT Law drew a joint statement from 183 organisations including rival operators, which called for maintaining and strengthening the act’s existing framework.

In a joint release, KDDI, SoftBank Corp and Rakuten Mobile called for the government to preserve and protect NTT’s special assets, built with public funds, to support regional communities and safeguard communication infrastructure essential to Japan’s national security.

The companies added the organisations support the directions outlined in the draft final report, which covers expanding NTT’s universal service obligations; maintaining and enhancing structural regulations to ensure fair competition; protecting special assets for economic security; and maintaining restrictions on foreign investment.

Japan’s report was based on the findings of three working groups focused on fair competition, universal service and economic security. KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten stated the report stresses the critical importance of the infrastructure owned by NTT Corp, which cannot be replicated by other operators.

In August 2023, a Ministry for Internal Affairs and Communications special committee and the Liberal Democratic Party started work on a plan covering the possible abolition of the NTT act and privatisation, originally aimed at boosting the operator’s competitiveness in global markets. 

Its rivals opposed scrapping the law in October 2023 and in April 2024 highlighted their continued opposition to abolishing the act, calling for more careful policy discussions.

Japan’s Telecoms Business Act and the NTT Law was enacted in 1984 to reform the centralised telecoms framework of the public corporation.

The government owns a 34.3 per cent stake of NTT Corp shares through the Ministry of Finance.