FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 17, 1998

NTT Announces Results on Field Tests of Digital Subscriber Line Technology and Its Future Plans

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) has completed field tests of digital subscriber lines (xDSL) to evaluate the speed and quality of services provided with asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL) technology. The tests ended this December 10. Following the tests, NTT is now preparing to launch a pilot ADSL service by around the third quarter of fiscal 1999. Outline of Tests Time February 20, 1998 to December 10, 1998 Area Kanto and Kansai areas (24 switching centers) Details ADSL devices were used with copper subscriber lines to evaluate xDSL that were used to provide Internet services Monitors 112 ISPs 12 Please see Attachment 1 for figure on xDSL field test. Results 1. Technical Evaluation Tests involving volunteer monitors found the following: - 500 Kbps downstream transmissions - Lines up to 2.5 km: service was possible to all monitors - Lines greater than 2.5 km and up to 5 km: service was possible to most monitors, depending on line conditions - 1.5 Mbps downstream transmissions - Lines up to 1.5 km: service was possible to all monitors - Lines greater than 1.5 km and up to 4 km: service was not usually possible Please see Graph 1, Attachment 2 concerning the relationship between downstream transmission speeds and distances between monitor homes and switching centers. 2. Evaluation by Monitors (Questionnaire) Approximately 70% of the monitors were satisfied or mostly satisfied with the speed and quality of services (see Graph 2, Attachment 2). The results will be provided in the xDSL Field Test Homepage at http://info.ntt.co.jp/xdsl/. Future Plans NTT is now preparing to conduct a pilot service for Internet service providers to connect subscriber lines between users and NTT switching centers using ADSL. Charges, services and conditions will be decided later, giving due consideration to product trends. 1. Start Planned for third quarter of fiscal 1999 2. Area Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas 3. Speeds (maximum) Downstream (from NTT switching center to user): Approximately 500 Kbps Upstream (from user to NTT switching center): Approximately 200 Kbps

Attachment 1 - xDSL Field Test Attachment 2 - Downstream transmission speeds and line lengths - Monitor evalution of transmission speed and quality

NTT NEWS RELEASE