Softbank Mobile ranks 1st in net subscription gains in 2008

Saturday 10th January, 06:02 AM JST

TOKYO —

Softbank Mobile Corp saw the largest net increase in subscriptions among mobile phone carriers in Japan for the first time in 2008, after topping the rankings consecutively for 20 months through December, the Telecommunications Carriers Association said Friday.

The company’s free phone service between its subscribers and the release of Apple Inc’s iPhone 3G in July and that of other new handsets helped it attract customers, analysts said.

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9 Comments

cracaphat at 11:36 AM JST - 10th January

So what ? The stock price still stinks.
sk4ek at 11:53 AM JST - 10th January

Gee do you think it would KILL you guys to maybe include the actual statistics in your article?
elbudamexicano at 05:24 PM JST - 10th January

Geez, I use Softbank but many times my cell is out of range, while the dudes with AU and Docomo are doing just fine, what gives??
Cleopatra at 05:52 PM JST - 10th January

Softbank sucks. My husband and I use it and the reception is really bad. We can only use our phones when we are standing next to a door or a window (in our house). I've been considering to switch to docomo, because of the Blackberry :)
CMEANDU26 at 11:00 AM JST - 13th January

My iPhone works great!!!
Kameleon at 05:49 PM JST - 13th January

Softbank is still a bad company regardless.

Customer support is terrible, almost everytime, on the phone, or at the shop: a lot of ill-mannered, Japanese staff.

In three years with AU I never once got into a quarrel. In less than two weeks with Softbank, I had four quarrels with staff, two on the phone, and two face to face in the Softbank shop.

They pretend they are foreigner friendly, but are actually far less accomodating than AU which has little to no foreign customer support.

Their information given on their website does not conform with what you told on the phone, and what you are told on the phone, does not match what you are told in the Softbank shop. They clearly have serious miscommunication between staff, which leads to wasting customer time.

I've been with them less than two months, and only remain because they sell the one phone type I wanted - only sold by them, and to further make them look bad, after the whole two-hour application process, told me they don't even support the type of phone I bought (I have to go to the maker directly).

Softbank = lame.
likeitis at 06:04 PM JST - 13th January

We can only use our phones when we are standing next to a door or a window (in our house).

Check a friend's phone from another company. It might be your house!

I have had phones from all of the big three. Docomo reception was incredible sometimes, but I did not have any particular problem with reception with any of them. Different phones went out of range in different locations, none that much more than another really, with the exception that I often got Docomo reception from mountaintops. But if you are not climbing mountains much, I cannot imagine the big Docomo bill is worth it.

Also, Softbank has the best prepaid cell phone service, hands down. I think its Docomo does not even have them anymore. AU only provides telephone and their in house mail, C-mail. No internet mail, which means no mail from anyone who does not have an AU phone. And that is crap.

Softbank prepaid phones are full service, but if you talk on the phone a lot, its not worth the expense. If you are going almost mail only, or only receiving calls (free for you) you can save a lot of money.
Latenights at 07:48 PM JST - 13th January

Hmmm... I hear a lot about Softbank not having as extensive coverage as the other two, but I've been with them since they were Jphone and I've never been out of range. I live in a city and avoid climbing mountains like my life depends on it, but subways, beaches, underground malls and several homes - I've always had sufficient signal. Oh, and I REALLY love my iPhone!
Cleopatra at 12:38 AM JST - 16th January

To Likeitis:

All our friends have reception when they visit us, all over the house. But they have AU or Docomo. So only Softbank doesn't work. Softbank SUCKS!