Roused into action by Softbank Corp.'s foray into Internet Protocol telephony last April, major telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers soon plan to launch their own commercial end-to-end IP phone services via broadband lines.
Internet service providers, including NTT Communications Corp.'s OCN, NEC Corp.'s Biglobe, Sony Corp.'s So-net, Japan Telecom Co.'s ODN and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s hi-ho, will start offering IP phone services to subscribers in March.
Others, including KDDI Corp.'s Dion, Fujitsu Ltd.-affiliated @nifty and Tokyo Telecommunications Network Co.'s Tokyo Denwa Internet, will do so by the end of May.