KT Japan launches tt mobile service for Japanese numbers before departure
In short
KT Japan, KT's Japanese subsidiary, said on Oct. 5 it launched tt mobile, an MVNO service that lets people planning long stays in Japan apply for a Japanese phone number in Korean before leaving Korea using a passport and PASS authentication. Users receive a USIM in Korea and activate it in Japan on NTT Docomo's network. Working-holiday and student plans run ¥1,210–3,300 a month and business plans ¥2,970–4,400, with the ¥5,500 international USIM shipping fee waived for applications completed by Dec. 31.
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KT Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of KT, said on Oct. 5 that it has launched tt mobile, a mobile virtual network operator service that lets people planning long stays in Japan apply for a Japanese phone number before leaving Korea. Applicants can apply in Korean using a passport and the PASS simple-authentication service, receive a USIM in Korea and activate the line after arriving in Japan on NTT Docomo's network, the company said. Charges can be paid with a card issued in Korea in the subscriber's own name. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Two plans can be signed up for with a passport. The working-holiday and student plan offers 5GB, 10GB, 30GB or 50GB of data for ¥1,210 to ¥3,300 a month and is aimed at working-holiday stayers and students aged 30 or under, with voice calls and text messages billed separately. The business plan offers 10GB, 30GB or 50GB for ¥2,970 to ¥4,400 a month and includes unlimited domestic calls in Japan. KT Japan said both plans keep data available at up to 200Kbps after the monthly allowance is used, and that the ¥5,500 international USIM shipping fee is waived for applications completed by Dec. 31. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Japanese phone numbers are commonly needed to open a bank account, sign a housing contract and complete identity checks, the outlets reported. Before this service, long-term stayers often had to open a line after arriving in Japan, going through Japanese-language procedures and paperwork, they said. Maeil Business, in a single-source report, said KT Japan also runs a “basic plan” for people already living in Japan who hold a My Number card, allowing them to choose among the NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank networks. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 ]
KT Japan has provided Korea-Japan international dedicated lines and Japanese network services, and the company said the launch expands its business from corporate customers to individuals, including students, working-holiday stayers and expatriates. Park Chan-beom, head of KT Japan, said the company aims to help Koreans starting new challenges in Japan prepare the communications they need before departure and that it will keep expanding services for visitors and long-term stayers. [ 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Japanese phone numbers are needed for everyday tasks such as opening a bank account, signing a housing contract and completing identity verification, so pre-departure sign-up removes a practical hurdle for students, working-holiday stayers and expatriates heading to Japan. The launch also marks KT Japan's stated move from corporate services toward individual customers.
Key facts
- KT Japan, KT's Japanese subsidiary, said on Oct. 5 that it launched the MVNO service tt mobile. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Customers can apply for a Japanese phone number in Korean with only a passport and PASS simple authentication before leaving Korea. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Users receive the USIM in Korea and activate the line after arriving in Japan on the NTT Docomo network. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The working-holiday and student plan offers 5GB to 50GB for ¥1,210 to ¥3,300 a month and is aimed at those aged 30 or under, with voice calls and text messages billed separately. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The business plan offers 10GB to 50GB for ¥2,970 to ¥4,400 a month and includes unlimited domestic calls in Japan. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Both plans keep data available at up to 200Kbps after the monthly allowance is used. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ¥5,500 international USIM shipping fee is waived for applications completed by Dec. 31. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- KT Japan said the launch expands its business from corporate clients to individuals such as students, working-holiday stayers and expatriates. [ 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- KT Japan announced the launch of the tt mobile MVNO service on Oct. 5. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Applicants can apply for a Japanese phone number in Korean using a passport and PASS authentication before leaving Korea. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Users receive the USIM in Korea and activate the line in Japan on the NTT Docomo network. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The working-holiday and student plan costs ¥1,210 to ¥3,300 a month for 5GB to 50GB of data, and the business plan costs ¥2,970 to ¥4,400 a month for 10GB to 50GB. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The ¥5,500 international USIM shipping fee is waived for applications completed by Dec. 31. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether sign-up is limited to Korean nationals or to customers holding Korean-issued identity documents and payment cards. One outlet describes the target as Korean subscribers and another as domestic customers, and payment is by a card issued in Korea in the subscriber's name, but no document states the eligibility rules explicitly.
- Details of the “basic plan” for people already living in Japan, such as prices or a launch date. Only Maeil Business mentions this plan and gives no pricing; no other outlet confirms it.
- Subscriber, revenue or market-share targets for tt mobile. No document states any targets or projections.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes a report on KT Japan's launch of tt mobile. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes plan and pricing details in its tech-brief format. [ 2 ]
- ZDNet Korea publishes a report on the passport and PASS sign-up process and plan tiers. [ 3 ]
- Maeil Business reports the launch and the business strategy behind it. [ 4 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the launch and the pricing details. [ 5 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes Korean- and Japanese-language reports on the launch. [ 6 , 7 ]