Damage and Restoration Status Regarding Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake and Future Prospects

TOKYO, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the impact of the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, some of NTT Group's services, including fixed-line and mobile communication services, remain unavailable, particularly in the Tohoku region. The entire group is currently devoting its efforts towards restoration, and we apologize for any inconveniences caused.

After the earthquake, facilities were damaged and commercial power supply was disrupted at exchange offices, among other things, impacting approximately 1.5 million circuits for fixed-line services, approximately 6,700 mobile base station equipment, approximately 15,000 circuits for corporate data communication services and others.

In accordance with its disaster prevention operation plans based on the Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures, NTT Group established the Disaster Countermeasures Office and over 10,000 people from NTT group companies across the nation have been making an all-out effort to restore the damaged communication facilities and services. Through such efforts as its provision of the Disaster Emergency Message Dial and the Disaster Message Board service, deployment of mobile base station vehicles (approximately 30 vehicles) and satellite mobile phones (approximately 870 handsets) and installation of special public telephones (approximately 2,300 telephones), NTT Group is making efforts to secure a means of communication for those who were affected by the earthquake.

As a result of these efforts, more than 90 percent of the affected exchange offices and mobile base station equipment have been restored and services are gradually recovering. Going forward, NTT Group is planning to have its exchange offices and base stations almost completely restored (except for certain areas where restoration is physically difficult, such as areas surrounding the nuclear power plant and areas with physically damaged roads, tunnels, etc.) by the end of April through, among others, renewal of power supplies and equipment and re-installing relay transmission lines, repair of relay transmission lines to mobile base stations, and area remedies for mobile phones using large zone schemes where a single station covers multiple stations.

With regards to the remaining areas, NTT Group will endeavor to prioritize the restoration of services in particular areas, such as municipalities and evacuation shelters, and improve the communication environment by, among other things, providing even more satellite mobile phones and other communication means.  

Regarding corporate data communication services, approximately 90 percent have been restored to date. Submarine cables connecting Japan with the United States and other parts of Asia have been partially damaged, but NTT Group has been using various backup cable routes to maintain uninterrupted services, and there is currently no impact on its overseas communication services.  

To support the affected people of the disaster, NTT Group is, among other efforts, providing its communication services free of charge, safety confirmation information of those affected, and company residences as living space for those impacted by the earthquake. NTT Group is working to gather donations from its customers and has decided to donate one billion yen. NTT Group will devote its full strength to support the victims of this disaster and the recovery of the stricken areas.

The following summarizes the damage done to NTT group companies and the efforts made towards restoration.

For more detailed information, please visit
www.ntt.co.jp/news2011/1103e/110330a.html

About Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Please visit www.ntt.co.jp/index_e.html

Contact:
Tenmin Yoshiara
Public Relations Office
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Tel: +81-3-5205-5550
http://www.ntt.co.jp/contact_e/contact.html

SOURCE Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation; Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation; NTT DOCOMO, INC.; Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation; NTT Communications Corporation