Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed with NTT Broadband Initiative Inc. and Sony Communication Network Corp. to start offering broadband services for PlayStation2 computer game consoles in April.
SCE, a Sony Corp. subsidiary, produces the game consoles and software while SCN, another Sony subsidiary, runs the So-net Internet service provider. NTT-BB, wholly owned by Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp., provides broadband services.
The new services will be available domestically for subscribers of broadband services provided by NTT group companies or So-net. Subscribers will also need broadband units for PlayStation2 game consoles, which will be rented by SCE, SCN and NTT-BB.
Details of the broadband services will be announced in February, an SCN official said.
As of the end of November, the number of PlayStation2 consoles in Japan was 7.25 million and the number of So-net broadband service subscribers reached 140,000.
SCE President Ken Kutaragi said the three companies hope that the new services will encourage more households to introduce broadband services.