— When thinking about the NTT Group's CSR activities, we need to ask ourselves how we can contribute to society through our common business domain — the building and operation of telecommunications infrastructure. Could we first hear from each of you on your company's approach?

Koga: There are many ways in which enabling people to access the information they want irrespective of time or place can contribute to solving social issues. Wired and wireless broadband networks are the platforms supporting such a "ubiquitous" society, and NTT East is, along with NTT West, pushing ahead with the deployment of optical fiber-based wired networks.

Takano: NTT COMWARE contributes to building high reliability communications infrastructure by providing information processing systems-related support. For example, we provide ICT solutions in the form of system development and application technologies for creating high value information services for building the mission critical^*1 IP network^*2 that constitutes the essential platform of the next-generation network (NGN) that launched commercial services in parts of the Tokyo metropolitan area and Osaka Prefecture in March 2008.

*1 Mission critical
Equipped with maximum reliability and disaster tolerance, total support system and other measures for minimizing the impact of system failures

*2 IP network
A network operated and regulated by standard protocols and procedures widely adopted for the Internet.

Tamura: Yes, the key to providing safe and efficient services will be the transformation of networks to IP based ones. In this sense, NTT Communications provides IP-related solution services all over the world in addition to its long-distance domestic and international communications businesses.

Sakamoto: The spread of broadband and IP networks will mean that we'll see significant increases in data volume, and so it will be even more important for us to provide reliable and secure services. In this context, NTT FACILITIES works with other Group companies to provide comprehensive engineering services for buildings such as data centers, electricity and air conditioning systems, and highly reliable power supply systems to support telecommunications systems.

Matsui: NTT DOCOMO is NTT's mobile communications arm, and we focus on broadband networks for the wireless access services that are a vital part of ubiquitous communications infrastructure. Our FOMA HIGH-SPEED data communications service now covers over 98% of the population. We have also started providing FMC services, which offer mobile broadband access through seamlessly integrating mobile and fixed communications, not only to corporate customers, but also to individual customers since June 2008 as "Home U". This service enables our customers to use their mobile phones with broadband environments at home and elsewhere.

Inoue: The spread of NGN and FMC services enhances the reliability of networks, enabling us to provide a wider variety of services and content that enhances user choice and convenience, but they can also be seen as new social infrastructure and services for addressing issues related to rural depopulation, disparity between regions, and the aging of our society. We should aim to offer solutions to these issues too as the NTT Group.

Wakaizumi: Yes, I agree. NTT Urban Development is the only company in the NTT Group that conducts real estate business on a nationwide basis, and while we're not directly involved in building telecommunications infrastructure or developing information services, we make a point of offering living and office environments that take advantage of our position as the real estate arm of the NTT Group. For example, when building and selling new condominiums or office buildings, we install broadband services such as B FLET'S and other services that enhance the everyday comfort, safety and peace of mind of elderly or people with disabilities.

Sogo: While we're on the subject of how ubiquitous broadband services can influence the way society functions, at NTT DATA we started full-scale operation of our teleworking system in fiscal 2009 under the slogan "Work Style Innovation". Some 200 employees — 2% of our workforce — now take advantage of this system and we expect that ratio to increase over time. We feel that we can contribute to bringing about change and greater diversity in workstyles by deploying broadband networks.