TOKYO-Japan Telecom (JT), British Telecom and AT&T announced 25 April that BT and AT&T each will take a 15-percent stake in JT.
As a result of this strategic agreement among three of the world’s leading telecom carriers, BT will become a core member of JT’s IMT-2000 project. In cooperation with AirTouch Communications and Nissan Motor Co., JT established at the end of 1998 the IMT-2000 Planning company, which aims to operate third-generation cellular in Japan.
BT is going to take a 20-percent stake in IMT-2000 Planning. Currently, JT has a 40-percent stake of the 200 million yen (US$1.67 million) 3G company, Nissan has 34 percent and AirTouch holds the remaining 26 percent.
A JT spokesperson said the three firms’ stakes may change after BT joins the firm because IMT-2000 Planning may need to raise additional capital in the near future for launching commercial operations. At the moment, IMT-2000 Planning is being run by staff from the three initial investors. It has not been decided whether BT will send some of its own staff for the firm.
Other key points of the deal are:
JT will become an important partner of the global venture of BT and AT&T. Affiliates of BT and AT&T in Japan (BT Communications Services, BT NIS and AT&T Jens) will become part of JT.
BT and AT&T senior directors will be appointed to the management board of JT.
