Smarter phone plans

By on April 9, 2015

The national average of grade school kids using mobile phones surged from 44.1% in 2012 to 53.7% in 2014. Tokyo kids account for 65% of mobile device ownership. In Tokyo, the total number of subscribers as of 2014 is 16.7M. The demand is expected to rise shaply yet the subscription rate by major carriers doesn’t get any cheaper.

Owning a mobile phone to stay connected with friends and family 24/7 has quickly become the norm. Yet having one comes at a cost especially for families with 2 or more children.

At the behest of the Ministry of Internal Communications, all mobile phone carriers starting in May 2015 are ordered to remove SIM locks that prevent subscribers from using another carrier’s SIM. This means that local carriers will be competing with each other by wooing subscribers with attractive rates. The pressure is officially on to find the best value plan for your family.

Why is MVNO the cheaper option?
Mobile Virtual Network Operators do not own a wireless network infrastructure but instead rent in bulk from mobile network operators at wholesale rates. This allows MVNOs to set their own retail prices usually more competitive than major carriers in the country.

MVNO vendors with cheap plans

DMM Mobile
Monthly plans 660 – 980 yen
www.dmm.com

Yodobashi
Monthly plans 480 – 5,490 yen
http://www.yodobashi.com/ec/feature/470005/index.html

 

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