NTT Reaches 6 Million Optical Access Subscribers

NTT continues to aggressively add B-FLETs optical access lines while ADSL and narrowband lines continue to decline. As of 31-Mar-2007, NTT East was serving 3.4 million optical access lines and NTT West was serving 2.7 million optical access lines, giving a combined total of over 6 million B-FLETs lines in service, up from 3.4 million a year earlier. NTT expects to add another 3.4 million optical lines in the next year, by which time the number of optical access subscribers should be over 9 million -- more than double the expected number of remaining ADSL subscribers in March 2008.



Financially, NTT said its corporate earnings improved against a backdrop of strong demand in Japan and overseas driven by steady improvements in the Japanese economy. In the mobile communications market, NTT said growth in the overall number of subscribers remained sluggish, but third-generation mobile communications services are expanding steadily, and with the introduction of mobile number portability, price competition remains fierce.



NTT Group's consolidated operating revenues were 10,760.6 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007 (an increase of 0.2% from the previous fiscal year) due to increases in IP-related revenues from B FLET'S and FOMA and system integration revenues. Consolidated operating expenses were 9,653.5 billion yen (an increase of 1.1% from the previous fiscal year) as a result of increased expenses associated with higher system integration revenues and increased mobile phone handset costs and other sales related expenses.



NTT's full annual financial report is now posted online.



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