Nearly a year after the splitup of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., the big experiment is coming under scrutiny as questions are raised over whether its new profile has actually made a difference.
On July 1, 1999, the former state-run telecommunications giant was reorganized into two local carriers and a long-distance and international carrier under the wing of a holding company.
The revamp was being counted on to bring about cheap and efficient information and telecom services through fair competition and considered key to transforming the nation's economic structure.