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Press Releases 2005

Public Wireless LAN Service of SOFTBANK Group Gradually Expanding BB Mobile Point to Approx. 2,600 McDonald’s Restaurants Nationwide McDonald’s and SOFTBANK Group Step Up Collaboration to Bolster Customer Convenience

Nov. 9, 2005

From December 1, McDonald’s Holdings Co. (Japan), Ltd. (Head office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Eikoh Harada; “McDonald’s Japan”) will phase in the installation of BB Mobile Point in approximately 2,600 restaurants around the nation, to improve convenience for customers. A BB Mobile Point offers a public wireless LAN service provided by JAPAN TELECOM CO., LTD. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Chief Executive Officer: Hideki Kurashige; “Japan Telecom”).

In addition to the expansion of BB Mobile Point, the collaboration between McDonald’s Japan and SOFTBANK Group will be enhanced by implementing projects to benefits MacDonald’s customers. For example, if a user of the ADSL and optical service provided by SOFTBANK Group subscribes to the campaign for the public wireless LAN service at a MacDonald’s restaurant, that user will receive a discount on the service fee for up to one year.

McDonald’s Japan set up Yahoo! BB Mobile, the predecessor of BB Mobile Point, on a trial basis at nine of its restaurants in Tokyo in May 2002. Now there are 222 points nationwide (as of November 9). SOFTBANK Group has decided to increase the number of restaurants that provide the service in light of the establishment of infrastructure for the public wireless LAN service, which is now more recognized as a general service given the increasing number of PCs compatible with wireless LAN.

BB Mobile Point is a new service created on October 3 by combining the Yahoo! BB Mobile Zone and Mobile Point. These two services were provided respectively by SOFTBANK BB Corp. (Home office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masayoshi Son) and Japan Telecom. Once BB Mobile Point are installed in McDonald’s restaurants throughout Japan, the public wireless LAN service will be available at approximately 3,200 spots nationwide. SOFTBANK Group will continue to set up BB Mobile Point in McDonald’s, other large restaurants and hotel chains as well as key JR stations and important areas that are widely known. Yahoo! JAPAN will also actively promote the public wireless LAN service of SOFTBANK Group to make the environment even more user friendly.

Detailed information on restaurants providing the service will be available on the BB Mobile Points website as it becomes available.

[Note]
  • *About BB Mobile Point http://www.japan-telecom.co.jp/business/wlan/

A BB Mobile Point refers to infrastructure provided by Japan Telecom that offers a public wireless LAN service available in restaurants, hotels and key JR stations. Since it is provided as a wholesale service to providers and SIer companies, to use the service an application needs to be made to carriers such as Yahoo! BB and ODN.