TOKYO, July 1, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Japan's eight telecommunications companies – Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, NTT East, NTT West, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS (the NTT Group), KDDI Corporation, SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Mobile – today announced the launch of a cooperative information-sharing system in July 2025 to further expedite disaster relief support to affected areas following large-scale disasters.
This system is part of the “Connect to Change” project*1 and builds upon the cooperative framework launched on December 1, 2024*2, which aims to ensure the rapid restoration of communication networks in the event of large-scale disasters.
1. Objective of the information-sharing system
In the event of a large-scale disaster, telecommunications carriers provide crucial support to affected areas, often deploying communication services for evacuation centers. Previously, these efforts were conducted independently, sometimes leading to redundant resources and regional disparities in services. This new system promotes a collaborative approach through information sharing, enabling carriers to coordinate their resources and ensure timely, equitable, and comprehensive support to those in need.
2. Details of the information-sharing system
(1)Start Date: July 2025
(2)Details:
- Sharing information on evacuation centers that are supported, including the status of communication services and charging services.
- Displaying contact information for each telecommunications carrier's services. Showcasing the system's initiatives at disaster prevention drills and events conducted by local governments and telecommunications carriers.
Evacuation Center Support
(3)Support Details
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Communication services (e.g., free Wi-Fi), charging services, display of contact information
Note: Support for evacuation centers provided by each telecommunications carrier is available to everyone, regardless of their subscribed carrier.
3. Future plans
Moving forward, in addition to information sharing, the eight companies aim to strengthen cooperation further by dividing responsibilities for evacuation center support. By expanding and accelerating support to evacuation centers in disaster-stricken areas, the companies aim to contribute to the realization of a more sustainable society.
*1 https://tsunagu-kaeru.jp/(*Japanese page)
*2 https://corp.mobile.rakuten.co.jp/english/news/press/2024/1218_01/