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Press Releases 2002

SOFTBANK Group and McDonald’s Japan Next Generation Broadband Communication Business at McDonald’s Shops

May 7, 2002

Three SOFTBANK Group companies (Representative of the Group: Masayoshi Son:BB Technologies Corporation, Yahoo Japan Corporation, and SOFTBANK COMMERCE CORP.) and McDonald’s Company (Japan) ,Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director and CEO: Yasuyuki Yagi) announce that the 4 companies have reached an agreement to propel next generation broadband communications business at McDonald’s shops.

Through this attempt, the services of “Yahoo! BB Mobile’, a high-speed Internet access service via wireless LAN, and public IP telephone (provisional) service of “BB Phone”, will be provided at McDonald’s shops*1 using “Yahoo! BB” broadband infrastructure while merchandising “Yahoo! BB Mobile” and “BB Phone” services to increase the sign-up rate.

To be more precise service, “Yahoo! BB Mobile” is based on a wireless LAN standard of IEEE802.11b (WiFi) using a 2.4GHz frequency band, making high-speed Internet service via wireless LAN with downstream rates up to 8 Mbps available at McDonald’s shops. Users will now be able to enjoy this high-speed Internet access at McDonald’s shops. Regular monthly charges are (1) 1,580 yen (access service only)*2 or (2) 2,280 yen (full service available).*3 Current users of Yahoo! BB can use “Yahoo! BB Mobile” by paying only (3) 990 yen additional to the normal monthly charge.

As for “BB Phone” broadband telephone service, an advertisement promotion in the McDonald’s shops, etc. will be undertaken in merchandise the service. Public IP telephones of “BB Phone” will also be installed in the shops and unexampled low-price service will be provided using the strong infrastructure of Yahoo! BB and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technologies.

In this next generation broadband communication business, BB Technologies Corporation will make available its communication infrastructure, facilities and equipment, and user support; Yahoo Japan Corporation will organize the internet promotion site of this project making good use of the Company’s resources of contents and services; and SOFTBANK COMMERCE CORP. will be the liaison office undertaking the comprehensive planning and management of this project. McDonald’s Japan will provide customer convenience through the introduction of broadband communication service and offer support for customers and employees in the use and sales promotion of the service.

Each of the four companies working together in this partnership business wishes to make a contribution to opening the world of rich communication to as many people as possible by offering an environment where McDonald’s customers can readily use broadband service.

[Notes]
  • *1The shops where the service is available will gradually be increased. Please understand that the service may not be available at some shops. A specific plan concerning the timing of the start of full service and locations of shops where the service will be available will be announced after the end of the test service.
  • *2Only Internet access is available.
  • *3For Yahoo! BB users, a mail box up to 25Mb, dial-up internet access, disk space for homepages up to 25Mb, etc. will be made available.
  • *If the machine a customer currently uses does not have a interface compatible with IEEE802.11b(WiFi), a wireless LAN card compatible with IEEE802.11b(WiFi)is necessary. There is also a rental service; the monthly rental charge for a wireless LAN card is 390 yen.
  • *Stated prices are all net of tax.
  • *Releases, announcements, presentations and other information available from this page and elsewhere on this website were prepared based on information available and views held at the time of preparation and speak only as of the respective dates on which they are filed or used by SOFTBANK or the applicable group company, as the case may be. Such information is subject to change and may become out-of-date. Such information may also contain forward-looking statements which are by their nature subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Please read legal notices in its entirety prior to viewing any information available on this website.