SoftBank gaining market share in Japan
SoftBank market cap catching up with Docomo
Mobile subscription data released last week show, that the SoftBank group continues to gain market share while incumbent NTT-docomo continues to lose market share – an upward trend for SoftBank, and a downward trend for NTT-docomo essentially unbroken since SoftBank acquired Vodafone-Japan and succeeded with the turn-round.
SoftBank’s market cap has also steadily increased recently and is now close to NTT-docomo’s, exceeding it on some days:
operator || Market Cap (May 10, 2013)
- NTT-docomo || YEN 6945 billion (US$ 68 billion)
- SoftBank || YEN 6688 billion (US$ 66 billion)
- KDDI || YEN 4162 billion (US$ 41 billion)
Bringing eMobile and PHS operator Willcom under its group umbrella, and by creating the new operator Wireless City Planning (WCP), Softbank group subscription numbers now exceed 40 million, and have overtaken KDDI
PHS operator Willcom joins the SoftBank group
PHS operator Willcom registered for bankruptcy administration essentially because of the high investments in upgrading the legacy PHS network infrastructure, and is currently in corporate reconstruction with SoftBank as the reconstruction sponsor.
Wireless City Planning (WCP) is a wireless operator owned partially by Advantage Partners and SoftBank and other investors, and representing the next generation network Willcom hoped – but could not afford – to develop.
While negotiating the SPRINT acquisition, SoftBank tricks out KDDI to take control of eMobile
While Masayoshi Son was secretly negotiating his offer for SPRINT, he discovered that KDDI was in negotiations to acquire new entrant eMobile. While continuing the SPRINT negotiations, he was a faster decision maker than KDDI, and could win the eMobile acquisition right under the eyes of KDDI.
Since a few weeks ago, iPhones on SoftBank‘s network automatically log into both SoftBank’s and eMobile‘s LTE radio networks, greatly enhancing data transmission rates and coverage.
More in our report on Japan’s telecommunications sector
Softbank and Renewable Energy
Softbank recently also entered the renewable energy business. Read more about Softbank’s renewable energy business in our Renewable energy report (our work on Japan’s energy sector is referenced in IEEE-Spectrum here).
Learn more about SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, and his 30/300 year vision for SoftBank
Report on “SoftBank today and 300 year vision” (approx 120 page, pdf file)
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