Following a powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024, Japan's eight telecommunications companies – NTT, Inc., NTT EAST, NTT WEST, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS (the NTT Group), KDDI Corporation, SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Mobile – launched a cooperative framework aimed at ensuring the rapid restoration of communication networks in the event of large-scale disasters in December 2024. Building on this framework, in July 2025, the companies launched a collaborative information-sharing system to further expedite disaster relief support to affected areas.
On October 22, the eight telecommunication companies unveiled an initiative to better support people in affected areas during large-scale disasters. The evacuation shelter support area allocation and standardized information dissemination system, launched by the eight companies on October 22, 2025, is designed to ensure that those affected receive support promptly and have access to information that is easy to understand.
Previously, telecommunications carriers provided support to affected areas, and often deployed communication services for evacuation centers independently. This sometimes led to redundant resource allocations and regional disparities in services. Under the new system, the eight companies are aiming to allocate evacuation shelter support areas in a coordinated manner to ensure that crucial support, including communication services, is delivered more efficiently.
Standardizing information for evacuation shelter support
The eight telecommunications companies will also utilize standardized communications and a common logo for the evacuation shelter support areas provided by each telecommunications carrier. Support details from all carriers will adhere to a unified format on their websites.
To foster a clearer understanding of the cooperation framework among telecommunications carriers, a common logo will also be used during shelter support activities, disaster drills and other relevant events.
The logo incorporates the corporate colors of the NTT Group, KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile within its four-hand design. These hands, overlapping and converging at the center, symbolize the coordinated efforts of the companies working toward a shared objective.
Representatives from the NTT Group, KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile gave a briefing on the new system on October 22, 2025
For more information, see this press release.
Related Articles
(Posted on October 23, 2025)
by SoftBank News Editors
