Found this ad in the JR train a few days ago. Softbank mobile claims its No.1 net increase in May with aggressive pricing plans including WhitePlan ($10 base charge for phone), Double WhitePlan (Tiered pricing on WhitePlan), Free calls between family members 24/7.
Update: They’ve achieved No.1 in the three consecutive months May, June, and July (the photo taken at softbank mobile store in Shibuya). The ad claiming so makes sense, given relatively low brand image held in the eyes of mobile users in Japan, relative to competitors Docomo and AU. They spend TV ad a lot too. Not surprisingly, reportedly both docomo and AU reacted with basically cutting the base charge in half for the new subscriber. I’d anticipate exactly the same pricing war softbank played and won at FTTH/ADSL penetration pricing in years 2001 and onwards.
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