Ryota Takeda, the communications minister, apologizes at a Feb. 24 news conference when disciplinary measures were announced against ministry officials wined and dined by a satellite broadcaster. (Ryo Kato)
The telecommunications ministry has released the results of its investigation into the wining and dining of bureaucrats by a satellite broadcaster, but it left many questions unanswered, such as why.
The government announced disciplinary measures on Feb. 24 against seven high-ranking bureaucrats in the form of pay cuts ranging from 10 to 20 percent over one to three months, and issued various warnings to four other officials.
Two were warned, according to telecommunications ministry regulations.
An au mobile shop in Tokyo in March 2020 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
All three of Japan’s major mobile carriers are launching new, lower-cost plans at the behest of the Suga administration, which has been seeking consumer-friendly price reductions through more competition.
But the cheaper price plans on tap are all turning out to be about the same cost in the end.
KDDI Corp., operator of the au mobile brand, announced on Jan. 13 that it will launch a monthly 20-gigabyte smartphone plan called “povo” at 2,480 yen ($23.83), excluding tax, in March.
KDDI set the new price 500 yen cheaper than competing plans unveiled by rivals NTT Docomo Inc. and Softbank Corp. last December. But the povo plan does not include the option for unlimited calls lasting under five minutes.