Softbank Sucks -- the carrier situation in Japan

by **Cyka UchuuJin** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 2:56 pm

I think Cranky's response is more likely. I switched to 'white plan' a few years ago, so maybe that's no longer active?

Got here and it's still blocked for outgoing calls/messages, but there isn't a problem with receiving. :/

by **Cyka UchuuJin** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:12 am

crisis averted. apparently softbank lost a whole block of credit card numbers, including mine. so they couldn't charge my card last month, and i had to pay in cash the grand sum of 201 Yen. all is restored, and hopefully they've re-registered my card in time for next month's bill.

tip for osaka gaijin...ahmed at the softobanko dotonbori branch. he'll sort you right out with whatever problem you have. he's even more helpful if you're of the fairer sex.

by **Greji** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:37 pm

Cyka UchuuJin wrote:he's even more helpful if you're of the fairer sex.

What's fair about your sex?
:confused:

by **Coligny** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:18 pm

Greji wrote:What's fair about your sex?

We can't tell... maybe Ahmed is gay... or into goats and 72's virginz...

[yt]ouDRDzqTu0M[/yt]
(yea, yea, shortcuts and cliches I knowz... but this sketch iz hillarious)

by **Cyka UchuuJin** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:30 pm

Greji wrote:What's fair about your sex?

camel toes on the train to make you give up your seat.

extremely fair.

by **Greji** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 12:22 pm

Cyka UchuuJin wrote:camel toes on the train to make you give up your seat.

extremely fair.

See! Now what's fair about that? Flashing a little of the good stuff to make some old man give up his train seat and hang from the straps by his tongue, just so you can plop your hot tootise on the upholstery! Just try that on Iraira, or myself and see what happens when you gotta face off with professional perverts that got real game!
:cool:

by **FG Lurker** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:09 pm

Cyka UchuuJin wrote:camel toes on the train to make you give up your seat.

Considering that seated eye-level and standing camel toe-level would be about the same I'm not sure your plan would work...

by **FG Lurker** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:13 pm

Back on topic for a moment (sorry guys), the SBS blog has a great summary up of all the various b-mobile SIMs you can get for your unlocked phones:

http://softbanksucks.blogspot.com/2011/06/comparison-of-all-b-mobile-sims.html

Something I didn't realize is that the data-only SIMs don't require residency status. Tourists can get and use them too which is a pretty sweet deal really.

by **matsuki** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 1:15 pm

FG Lurker wrote:Back on topic for a moment (sorry guys), the SBS blog has a great summary up of all the various b-mobile SIMs you can get for your unlocked phones:

http://softbanksucks.blogspot.com/2011/06/comparison-of-all-b-mobile-sims.html

Something I didn't realize is that the data-only SIMs don't require residency status. Tourists can get and use them too which is a pretty sweet deal really.

Very nice!

by **Greji** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:33 am

FG Lurker wrote:Considering that seated eye-level and standing camel toe-level would be about the same I'm not sure your plan would work...

You're on the wrong level. This is Cyka we're dealing with here. She doesn't do anything the fair way....

by **Coligny** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 2:07 am

Greji wrote:You're on the wrong level. This is Cyka we're dealing with here. She doesn't do anything the fair way....

guys, i have a real foot phobia, so if we could avoid these kind of pict... that would be like... totally cool...

by **FG Lurker** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:02 pm

NTT Communications starts "050 Plus" VoIP service for smartphones
SBS Blog, July 8, 2011

NTT began offering a VoIP softphone service from July 1st. The service is called 050Plus and is initially for the iPhone, but with planned expansion to Android and computers from early August. The terms are attractive, though this requires the download of a specialized app, which will reduce battery life.

[...]

Finally, the details of 050Plus VoIP. Either there are no initial or cancellation fees, of the information is well hidden.

\315/month
Free calls to not only other "050" plus users, but also to other companies like OCN top phone (total of 270 providers included)
\8.4/3 min (\2.8/min) for all other IP Phones and landlines
\16.8/min for domestic cell phones (090, 080 numbers)
\10.1/min for domestic PHS (070 numbers)
From \9/min for to the USA (\10 to Canada; \20 to Germany, UK, Australia, France, Italy; \25 to New Zealand)
Can be used overseas
Voicemail with email notification and .wav audio attachment

(Full Post)

This is a very interesting development and I wonder how Softbank will respond. Their network is already seriously overloaded, a big influx of people using this might push it over the edge into totally unusable territory (feels like it's already unusable a lot of the time!) I wonder if this might be the beginning of the end for overpriced airtime on mobile phones in Japan...

by **FG Lurker** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:29 pm

by **Coligny** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:54 pm

The problem with IOs background apps... is that usually they don't survive long in the background...
It's not like old Dos TSR's, Mac OS extensions, or Windows watchamacallits. I often have skype die a slow death behind curtains on my Ipod/IPad... seems it's more thriving on me b... julie IPhone but, she just use skyp and some PDF reader so there is not a lot of motion in her process list...

by **FG Lurker** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:33 pm

Apparently iOS 5 is supposed to improve the multitasking situation. Here's hoping... Currently for me 050plus is more for outgoing calls than incoming but if more people adopt this then I can see incoming calls starting too.

I just made an extended 050 call over Shitbank's 3G network. It again worked much better than Skype did over the same sort of connection. Speedtest.net says my 3G connection here gives 1810kbps down and (a somewhat flaky) 255kbps up. The 050plus app seems to monitor your connection quality quite carefully too and it will start beeping quietly in your ear if the connection quality drops. Definitely useful for when you're walking, you find out if you're entering a bad spot and can move a bit to make things better before the call drops.

I look forward to NTT Communications releasing the PC version of this software and to trying that out.

by **matsuki** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:32 pm

Good stuff but fuck using it on Softbank. Can't wait for the android app, that's a no brainer to use to make outgoing calls without worrying about Skype connection issues.

by **FG Lurker** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:24 pm

chokonen888 wrote:Good stuff but fuck using it on Softbank. Can't wait for the android app, that's a no brainer to use to make outgoing calls without worrying about Skype connection issues.

Currently Docomo does not allow VOIP, it remains to be seen if they will allow this app from NTT Communications or not. B-mobile does allow VOIP but so far this app is not on their "approved list". They seem reasonable about adding new options though so I think there is a good chance this will get added too. If so I will be switching to b-mobile later this year when I buy a new phone...

I'm not sure about AU's policy with regards to VOIP but I don't think the AU network is exactly known for its speed anyway...

by **matsuki** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:19 pm

FG Lurker wrote:Currently Docomo does not allow VOIP, it remains to be seen if they will allow this app from NTT Communications or not.

Where did you read they don't allow it? Maybe they changed things recently but Skype works on my Docomo phone? They even allow tethering on it.

Wouldn't make alot of sense for Docomo to block an NTT app, they pretty much are NTT.

by **FG Lurker** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:53 pm

chokonen888 wrote:Where did you read they don't allow it? Maybe they changed things recently but Skype works on my Docomo phone? They even allow tethering on it.

Wouldn't make alot of sense for Docomo to block an NTT app, they pretty much are NTT.

Docomo does not allow VOIP or P2P applications to use their FOMA flat rate data plans:
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/service/data/foma/flat_rate/function/

They actively block ports to stop people from using such services. I don't know of anyone who has been nailed with charges for using VOIP but it could certainly happen, or docomo could get stricter about filtering certain types of packets.

There were some rumours last year that docomo was going to stop doing his but 9 months later nothing has changed.

by **BigInJapan** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:55 am

SMS between all Japanese mobile phone carriers went into effect from yesterday (7/13).
So I tried to send SMS from my iPhone 3GS to both AU and docomo phones.
No luck. I get an error "Your message was not sent. Tap "Try Again" to send this message".
I've seen at least one Japanese tech blog that showed success in sending SMS message between an iPhone (maybe iPhone 4), and an Android phone.
Information on costs of SMS sending here
Anybody else tried this yet from an iPhone 3GS? Results?

by **FG Lurker** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:29 pm

Perhaps you have to opt in to the service as it is not free? Quite the scam, charging for SMS when sending an email 10x or even 1000x longer would be free.

by **matsuki** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:00 pm

FG Lurker wrote:Perhaps you have to opt in to the service as it is not free? Quite the scam, charging for SMS when sending an email 10x or even 1000x longer would be free.

Yeah, charging a party for SMS when you both have flat rate plans is a fucking insult. 3.15 yen a SMS shouldn't break anyone's bank but still, lame as fuck.

by **BigInJapan** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:22 pm

chokonen888 wrote:Yeah, charging a party for SMS when you both have flat rate plans is a fucking insult. 3.15 yen a SMS shouldn't break anyone's bank but still, lame as fuck.

SMS is free between Softbank users. It will cost 3.15 yen to send to other carriers, and nothing to receive.
If anyone has any luck texting from an iPhone 3GS (it would suck if the 4 can, but the 3GS can't), please post your results here - thx.

by **Yokohammer** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:02 pm

BigInJapan wrote: ... It will cost 3.15 yen to send to other carriers, and nothing to receive. ...

Looking on the bright side, this will at least serve as a spam deterrent. I occasionally get spam SMS from moneylenders (almost certainly illegal). I have no fucking idea who these people are, and of course they have no idea who I am either because they're just broadcasting to sequences of phone numbers, but the fact that they have to pay 3.5 yen per message to send their scammy bilge may very well be the only reason I only get one per month or so, as opposed to hundreds per day.

by **GomiGirl** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:32 pm

Just sent a text from my iPhone 3G (not S) to my DoCoMo phone.

No probs.

by **FG Lurker** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:43 pm

Been using the 050plus app a bit more. It seems to sit happily in the background and the iPhone hasn't killed it on me yet. I'll keep watching this.

I also just tried something that always causes Skype calls to drop: moving from wifi to 3G or 3G to wifi. I started a call in my office over wifi and then walked outside to go to the store. After some distance the audio stopped for a few seconds when the wifi signal was lost but came right back up shortly over 3G. I've never managed this with Skype, it drops every call during a switch like this.

I also just heard about [Viber](http://www.viber.com/), a free VOIP app for the iPhone. It works based on your phone number so it automatically knows which of your contacts also has Viber and will route calls to them over Viber instead of 3G. I haven't tried it yet but will soon.

by **Mike Oxlong** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:39 pm

GomiGirl wrote:Just sent a text from my iPhone 3G (not S) to my DoCoMo phone.

No probs.

Is this just a matter tapping the "messages" icon, entering the phone number of the person you want to send an SMS to, and then writing and sending the short message?

by **Mike Oxlong** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:37 pm

Softbank Announces 110 Mbps Network, May Handle IPhones

Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile carrier and exclusive purveyor of the Apple iPhone in the country, said Thursday it would launch in November a new data network allowing downloads of up to 110 Mbps (megabits per second), faster than many wired connections provide today.

The new "Softbank 4G" network will initially be available via portable modems that create small wireless networks for computers and other devices, with the company aiming to have the country's main populations centers covered by April 2013. It will be compatible with a growing Chinese standard that media reports say Apple will support, meaning that future iPhones on Softbank's network could have access to the blazing download speeds.

"As cloud computing comes into practice, one thing we cannot fail to achieve is high speeds for mobile Internet, " said Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, speaking to reporters and industry representatives at an event in central Tokyo. "This network will have among the fastest speeds available, even globally."

Softbank will begin by offering a soap-bar-sized modem that can provide downloads of up to 76 Mbps and provide a wireless connection for up to 10 devices, which will go on sale in February. The device will switch to Softbank's existing data networks when not in range of the new system.

The network, which offers uploads at up to 15 Mbps, will be based on a format called AXGP, an advanced version of an older Japanese standard, Personal Handy-phone System (PHS). Softbank said it is "highly compatible" with TD-LTE, a Chinese standard also know as as LTE TDD, which is growing in popularity throughout Asia. Media reports have said Apple is committed to supporting the standard in future devices....

by **james** » Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:28 pm

by **matsuki** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:06 pm

SoftBank's CEO Wants U.S. Mobile Industry to Follow Japan's Lead. Um, No Thanks.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is visiting the U.S. this week to tell Washington how the U.S. can learn from Japan’s example to improve its mobile broadband infrastructure.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrydownes ... no-thanks/

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Softbank Sucks -- the carrier situation in Japan

NTT Communications starts "050 Plus" VoIP service for smartphones

Inter-carrier SMS from 7/13/2011 (strings attached?)

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