[Interview] Initiatives that cannot...
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[Interview] Initiatives that cannot be carriers!...... What is Nifty's strategy as an MVNO?
A mobile broadband service WiMAX, which has been developing services with a maximum of 40Mbps down, a population cover rate of about 94 % (as of November 30, 2013), and no speed limit. From October 31, a WiMAX 2+ service with a maximum communication speed of 110Mbps has started. This time, we interviewed Nifty's representative, a major provider who also develops WiMAX's MVNO business. Akio Shibuya, Chief of the ISP Planning and Sales Division, with Tetsuhei Suzuki, director of the ISP Planning and Sales Division, and how to differentiate the relationship with UQ Communications (UQ) as an MVNO, and how to differentiate it in the future. I talked to him. ■ “Nifty -Equal WiMAX”, which is rooted in core users, is providing optical fiber and LTE line provider services, but how about the awareness and demand for@nifty WiMAX? Suzuki: After UQ issued a press release of the start of WiMAX 2+service in September this year, our call center also began to ask, "When will it start in Nifty?" We have been providing WiMAX for about 5 years, so thankfully there are some customers who have the awareness of "Nifty -Echol WiMAX". ■ Tablet terminal set Sales Aim -at present, in terms of price and service, it looks like there is not much difference from UQ and other MVNOs. How do you plan to differentiate? Suzuki: Assuming the services that customers are looking for, I would like to propose to customers by providing "plus alpha" such as services and things to the WiMAX line. In the past, we were able to get a good reputation by selling tablet terminals as a set before other MVNOs. However, of course, other MVNOs will follow. The next step is to consider how to differentiate it. ―― As part of differentiation, where was the aim of selling a tablet set? Suzuki: Device is required to use the WiMAX line, but I thought that even if I made a proposal with a router alone, I thought that it would not be easy to convey the charm of IT literacy. The aim is to make a set with a tablet and propose and provide customers, including the usage scene. ――Please tell us why you selected Nexus 7 (2012 model) as a tablet model to be sold. Suzuki: Nexus 7 set sales started last year. At that time, the first thing was new, and the rest was that I chose it by brand and cost. In addition, when considering the needs of the market, 7 inches of tablet terminals that each manufacturer put out were 7 inches. There is also a part that trusts the marketing of the manufacturer. ■ Balance between WiMAX and fixed lines -How do you use Wimax? Mr. Shibuya: We have many individual members, which is the same for WiMAX. When you hear the voice that is actually rising in the support department, it seems that many people use it as a substitute for fixed lines than we expected. Instead of a computer that takes time to get up, the number of people who use a tablet device to do a little research is increasing. Unlike a long time ago, it is less likely to be out of the area in the Tokyo metropolitan area, so I think that many people use it as the first line with relatively peace of mind. ――It means that WiMAX lines are often selected as a substitute for fixed lines, but what kind of sales will be performed for Nifty, an ISP operator who also provides fixed lines? Mr. Shibuya: Of course, we would like you to use both fixed and WiMAX, but that's where we leave it to our customers. However, if you use it, WiMAX was better than expected, so even if there are customers who cancel the fixed line, you can suggest that you can use this convenient way if you use a mobile and fixed line. We plan to consider such measures.
