Japan's main gateway, Narita International Airport, is set to get SIM card vending machines targeting an increasing number of inbound tourists starting next Friday, NTT Communications Corp. said.
The cards, aptly named Prepaid SIM for Japan, can be purchased along with smartphones, mobile routers and smartphone accessories at the vending machines, the Tokyo-based telecommunications firm said.
The airport will have two such machines, for Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with only credit cards accepted for added ease.
NTT Communications said the SIM cards are priced at ¥3,450 for one week and ¥4,950 for two weeks. Both types offer a maximum download speed of 150 megabits per second and 50 Mbps as an upload speed. If the data amount exceeds 100 MB a day, the network speed will slow down.
Buying a smartphone and SIM card together will cost about ¥13,000.
NTT Communications said users will need to register their information in order to activate the service. However, it can be done by scanning their passport information at the vending machine.
The firm has already set up vending machines, which have English and Chinese guides, at Kansai International Airport and in Tokyo's Odaiba district.
While mobile service providers also sell prepaid SIM cards at Narita airport, this is the first time they are being sold in vending machines.