The SOFTBANK Group today reached an agreement with TOKAI CORPORATION (Head office: Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka; Representative: Katsuhiko Tokita, “TOKAI”) and VIC TOKAI CORPORATION (Head office: Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka; Representative: Hiroshi Hayakawa, “VIC TOKAI”) to consider a strategic business partnership including the mobile communications business. TOKAI Group develops multilateral public services focusing on the information-communications and energy businesses. Meanwhile the SOFTBANK Group owns the most advanced Internet technologies in the world and technical know-how with its operating base as an integrated communications operator. By forming the business partnership, these two Groups will be able to gain the greater synergy in a broad range of business areas such as mobile communications or broadband infrastructure.
Details of the strategic business partnership with TOKAI Group
1. Co-sponsorship in the mobile communications business
The SOFTBANK Group aims to expand sales of mobile service of Vodafone K.K., through a wide range of TOKAI Group’s channels by concluding the business partnership regarding handling of mobile services before MNP (Mobile Number Portability) system starts in November 2006 (scheduled). In addition, the SOFTBANK Group will also study possibilities of providing TOKAI Group with mobile network services in the form of MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) in the future.
2. Mutual cooperation in networks
The SOFTBANK Group will consider strengthening its broadband service through leveraging networks such as fiber optic transmission network on Chuo Expressway (between Tokyo and Nagoya) which TOKAI Group is now building. Besides, the SOFTBANK Group will also study about providing networks from Kita-Kanto and to the East, and from Osaka and to the west, where TOKAI Group currently doesn’t have its connection.
3. Co-sponsorship in the consumers’ broadband business
The SOFTBANK Group will be proactively involved in providing a broad range of services as well as improving user-friendliness for customers, by studying possibilities of co-sponsorship in the consumer-oriented broadband business area such as the content service or infrastructure business.
Corporate profile
| Company name | TOKAI CORPORATION |
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| Head office | 2-6-8, Tokiwa-cho, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka |
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| Representative | Katsuhiko Tokita, Representative Director and President |
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| Field of Business | Energy, communications, security and construction/real-estate businesses |
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| Company name | VIC TOKAI CORPORATION |
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| Head office | 2-6-8, Tokiwa-cho, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka |
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| Representative | Hiroshi Hayakawa, Representative Director and President |
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| Field of Business | Communications, CATV, information and Internet data center businesses |
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