Press Releases 2008

SoftBank Introduces ‘White Plan Student Discount’
- Basic monthly charge for White Plan is free of charge for 3 years! -

January 21, 2008
SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp.

SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Masayoshi Son; hereinafter ‘SBM’) announced that it will introduce a new discount service called ‘White Plan Student Discount’ for students (enrolled in elementary schools to vocational schools, universities), from February 1, 2008 till May 31, 2008.

White Plan Student Discount is a service that combines the popular ‘White Plan’ (basic monthly charge of 980 yen, including tax), ‘Unlimited Packet Discount’ (fixed monthly charge of from 1,029 yen to 4,410 yen, including tax), ‘S! Basic Pack’ (monthly charge of 315 yen, including tax) and ‘Content Student Discount Club’, a portal for White Plan Student Discount subscribers. For White Plan Student Discount subscribers, the basic monthly charge of White Plan becomes free of charge for 3 years upon subscription and the fixed monthly charge of Unlimited Packet Discount will be from 0 yen to 4,410 yen (including tax) for 3 years upon subscription. In addition, Content Student Discount Club becomes available free of information charges (only communication charges are required).

An overview of White Plan Student Discount is as follows:

1. Service details

  • White Plan, basic monthly charge of 0 yen (for 3 years upon new subscription)
  • Unlimited Packet Discount, fixed monthly charge of 0 yen to 4,410 yen (including tax, for 3 years upon new subscription)
  • S! Basic Pack, monthly charge of 315 yen (including tax)

Content Student Discount Club, a portal for White Plan Student Discount subscribers is scheduled to launch on March 1, 2008.

[Note]
  • * After a lapse of 3 years, the service will be automatically migrated to the regular White Plan and Unlimited Packet Discount.

2. Eligibility

  • An applicant or user must be a student and submit necessary documents as designated by SBM (in case of over-the-counter sales, an in-person visit by the student is necessary)
  • New application to SoftBank 3G service accompanied by handset purchase required

3. Application period

February 1, 2008 to May 31, 2008

[Note]
  • * Definition of ‘student’ related to this service is customer is enrolled in schools which satisfy requirements designated by SBM, such as elementary schools or above with an educational period of more than 12 consecutive months and the number of admission and graduation periods are fixed at less than twice a year.

SoftBank ‘Content Student Discount Club’ overview

1. Overview

The ‘Content Student Discount Club’ is a portal providing a variety of content to subscribers on the ‘White Plan Student Discount’ which enables them to enjoy content free of information charges (only communication charges are required). The new service, ‘Tada-Deko’ which offers more than 10,000 materials for ‘Graphic Mail’, ‘Tada-Komi’ (e-comic) through which subscribers can enjoy one episode of famous or popular comics (more than 2,100 titles), and in addition, a wide range of popular content for students such as ‘Tada-Game’, ‘Tada-Hon’ (e-book), ‘Tada-Neta’ (tentative name, short comedy), ‘Tada-Uranai’ and Chaku-Uta® will be offered in this portal.

Content Student Discount Club will consist of 3 categories as stated below. It will support students’ enjoyment of mobile lifestyles by providing various types of mobile content in a student-friendly environment.

  1. ‘Limited offer’ corner provides a variety of new materials for Graphic Mail exclusive to Content Student Discount Club, trendy Chaku-Uta® and popular Flash® games regularly.
  2. ‘Permanent offer’ corner provides special content such as Tada-Game, Tada-Hon, and Tada-Neta (tentative name).
  3. ‘Recommended offer’ corner provides Tada-Deko, Tada-Komi (one episode of comics is free of charge), and other Yahoo! Keitai content for students.

2. How to access

Access via the URL sent by SMS to White Plan Student Discount subscribers, or ‘My SoftBank’ page of White Plan Student Discount subscribers (Choose ‘Setting/Application’ at Yahoo! Keitai top page).

3. Service launch date

March 1, 2008 (planned)

[Note]
  • * Offered content will be updated as necessary.

Reference



SBM has been able to maintain the number one position in net additions for subscribers for 8 consecutive months from May 2007 (source: Telecommunications Carriers Association statistics). This is mainly due to the SBM leading product ‘White Plan’ as well as ‘Double White’ and ‘White Plan Family Discount 24’ which are well received by customers. SBM believes that customers will be even more satisfied with the introduction of this White Plan Student Discount. SBM’s policy of ‘Revising price plans when its service charges are higher than competitors’ new services’ remains in place. However, based on the fact that SBM’s services have become sufficiently robust, SBM will in the future only announce a competitive service when judged necessary. SBM will continue to aim to provide attractive and easy-to-understand services for customers.

- ends -



  • * Chaku-Uta® is a registered trademark of Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
  • * Macromedia® Flash™ is a trademark or registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
  • * Yahoo! and the Y! logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. (U.S.A.).
  • * White Plan, S! Basic Pack, Graphic Mail, Tada-Deko, Tada-Komi, Tada-Game, Tada-Hon, Tada-Neta, Tada-Uranai and Double White are registered trademarks or trademarks of SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp.
  • * SOFTBANK, the SOFTBANK name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of SOFTBANK CORP. in Japan and other countries.
  • The information is true and accurate at the time of publication.
    Price, specification, contact and other information of products and service may be subjected to change. The information contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.