Japan - Fixed Broadband Market - Statistics and Analyses

Japan possesses one of the most advanced and largest broadband markets in the world. Japan has also been an early adopter of triple-play models which provide TV, broadband internet and voice telephony as packaged services from a single provider. Fixed-line broadband market penetration has grown slowly over the past five years in a highly mature market.

Moving towards 2020, FttH will continue to increase its share of total fixed broadband subscriptions at the expense of DSL. This is expected to accelerate as the few remaining DSL users are encouraged to migrate off the remaining DSL. Over the next five years to 2024 fixed broadband growth is expected to continue to increase slowly.

Recognising the potential of applying ICT to improve both social and economic development, Japan has taken steps to develop a digital economy. Businesses, governments and private citizens have been instrumental in creating the online content and services that make up the digital economy.

Japan possesses a vibrant multichannel pay TV industry with services readily accessible across Japan via cable TV (CATV), satellite, IPTV and Over-the-top (OTT) Video-on-Demand (VoD). Although Japan has the necessary physical infrastructure to support OTT VoD, pure OTT players have not found much success as Japanese broadcasters, as the largest Japanese content producers, have traditionally been reluctant to release content to the OTT players believing it will cannibalize advertising revenue.

Key developments:

• Implementation of strong government policies over a decade see over 90% of households with access to FttX.
• FttH will continue to increase its share of total fixed broadband subscriptions as DSL is phased out.
• Over the next five years to 2024 fixed broadband growth is expected to continue to increase slowly.

Companies mentioned in this report include:

NTT; KDDI; Softbank; J:COM; USEN; KDDI; UQ Communications; Hulu; K-Opticom; Tepco, SKY PerfecTV!, Hulu