two on Japan networking

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Subject: Re: Japanese General Internet 
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 17:33:00 +0900
From: David Randolph Conrad <davidc () iij ad jp>


> > As you know, in Japan the cost of telecommunication is incredible
> > high.  The cost of leased line is in 64kbps 42,000 yen within 15Km,
> > 100,000 yen within 30Km, 170,000 yen with 40Km, and 385,000 yen
> > between Tokyo and Osaka.  T1 cost is 8 times of these.
> While it's slightly less, consider a yen at parity with US 1c.  That makes
> the rate for a 64Kb line to be US $420.00, $1000, $1700 and $3850 as
> stated above.


Well, yes, but these are just the NTT quotes for "local loop" costs
(and they also quote a 2 month installation time).  Other local loop
providers are a few yen cheaper.  Try pricing a trans-Pacific T1
sometime if you want some deep breathing excercizes.  One person I
talked to told me he was able to get a really good deal on a
trans-Pacific (JP<->US) 64 Kbps leased line for around $14,000
US/month.  There is a reason why networking in the Pacific is a star
with the US at the center... the infrastructure costs make such a
topology the most cost effective means of providing the services.


Actually, if I might relate this to another thread, 2 places that I
know of that are doing usage based charging are in the Pacific Rim
region (New Zealand and the commercial provider in Hong Kong).  Some
of the other places in the Pacific have utilizations around 90%
averaged over an hour on their links, all of which are at or below T1.
In the US, bandwidth is relatively cheap and flat rate charges are
popular.  Here in the Pacific, bandwidth is not cheap and I've had
people specifically ask for (perhaps demand might be a better term)
usage based charging.


> Note also that a plain hamburger that is about U.S. 59c in Japan is about
> US $10, and a taxicab from Tokyo to its airport is the equivalent of
> US $150.00.  (A taxicab from Washington National into Downtown DC is
> about US $14.00.)


Not that this has anything to do with com-priv, but a full meal at
McD's in Tokyo is less than $10 US, not just a plain hamburger.  Also
Narita is around 40 miles or so or about an hour and a half by express
train from central Tokyo (train fare is around $35 US), not in the
center of town like Washington National.  How much is taxi fair from
downtown DC to Dulles?


Since I've lived here, I've found just about everything from food to
computer equipment is around 2 to 3 times more expensive than in the
US.  I'll spare the list from my ideas as to why this is the case, but
I believe the government regulations are only a very small part of the
reason.


> > I want to use more cheap service as a user.
> Then you need to fight to get data service deregulated.  


Well, yes, the reason IIJ has not been able to provide full
international IP service is due to our difficulty in getting a
"special type 2 electro-communications business license".  I assume
IIKK was helped significantly by their alliance with AT&T in
overcoming this hurdle.


[trade protection stuff of questionable com-priv relevance deleted]


-drc




From: ajp () glocom ac jp
Subject: Re: Japanese General Internet




best I remember, comparative price index is US = 100, Japan 160.  
btw - hamburger at macdonalds costs about $2:50 and tastes just as bad...on
a good day, the journey by car to Tokyo international airport takes an hour
(very good day!), Washington National is what, 15 minutes?


Take a look on CNRI's gopher for an article called "building Japan's
information infrastructure" for a bit more on Japan's leased line and other
problems.
(the gopher is - ietf.cnri.reston.va.us   port 70)




Adam
Glocom
Japan