Softbank Mobile Corp, the latest player in Japan's cutthroat mobile phone sector, said yesterday it was questioned by the government on its promotional discounts which have triggered an avalanche of interest.
But Softbank Mobile, a unit of the Internet conglomerate, denied any legal wrongdoing on the offer, which was so popular it overloaded the system.
"It is true that our official in charge of the matter was questioned by the Fair Trade Commission, but we regard our new service as having no problem at this point," a spokeswoman for Softbank Mobile said.
Free?
She spoke after Japanese media said the government commission had questioned Softbank Mobile over its discount service announcing "zero yen for calls, zero yen for e-mails."
The Sankei Shimbun said, citing unnamed sources, that the Fair Trade Commission was concerned that the advertisement may have failed to state clearly that there were preconditions for free calls and e-mails.
Commission officials declined to comment.
Softbank, an empire built by Masayoshi Son, one of Japan's richest entrepreneurs, in April completed a mega-deal to buy British mobile giant Vodafone's struggling Japanese operations for US$15 billion.
Softbank declared a price war against industry leader NTT DoCoMo and second-ranked KDDI Corp last week as Japan introduced "number portability," which lets customers switch carriers without changing phone numbers.
Media campaign
Its "zero yen" campaign was matched by a flashy media campaign including TV advertisements featuring Cameron Diaz.
Softbank had to stop the portability service twice over the weekend because its computer system could not handle the massive number of applications for joining and leaving it.
The breakdown led to fierce criticism by NTT DoCoMo and KDDI, which said that some of the customers may have been trying to switch to them.
Son on Monday apologized for the technical glitch.
He also announced Softbank's latest campaign to win more users, cutting fees to make calls to users of other carriers.
RESPONSE: The transit sends a message that China’s alignment with other countries would not deter the West from defending freedom of navigation, an academic said Canadian frigate the Ville de Quebec and Australian guided-missile destroyer the Brisbane transited the Taiwan Strait yesterday morning, the first time the two nations have conducted a joint freedom of navigation operation. The Canadian and Australian militaries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of National Defense declined to confirm the passage, saying only that Taiwan’s armed forces had deployed surveillance and reconnaissance assets, along with warships and combat aircraft, to safeguard security across the Strait. The two vessels were observed transiting northward along the eastern side of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, with Japan being their most likely destination,
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RSS