If you want a NEW telephone line, an IP Telephone (the numbers usually start with 050) is cheap and flexible, particularly if you want an internet connection as well.

But what if you already have an established telephone number from NTT?

Wouldn`t it be nice to be able to take your existing 092 number with you to a nice cheap VOIP system?

(In Fukuoka such numbers start with 092) Changing it would mean changing your staff meishi, all your headed notepaper, advertisements, informing customers, etc. That might not be an option. Wouldn`t it be nice to be able to take your existing 092 number with you to a nice cheap VOIP system?

Well from April, you can. QTNet (a subsidiary of Kyushu Electric) is one of the first companies in Japan to allow you to use an existing 092 (or whatever your local code is) number on their VOIP network. It will only be available to their "hikari fibre" 100mbit BBIQ customers and will cost an additional 315yen/month on top of the standard "hikari fibre" charge of 5,775yen. (There are various one time payments that come to around 3990yen - but we THINK these are waived in the opening campaign.)

So - all the benefits of VOIP, including cheaper calls or free calls

	...it is NOT currently possible to transfer more than one phone number to the new system...

within the network, but with a "standard" 092 number that can make 109, 110 and 104 calls. For readers with two or more numbers (common for those with an ISDN connection - a fax and a phone number for example), it is NOT currently possible to transfer more than one phone number to the new system. However, once the principle of number portability to VOIP is established, such functionality may well follow, if not from QTNet, then from someone else.

QTNet are on 092 716 5107 (www.bbiq.jp)

(Note: all costs noted in this article are provisional, and based on our understanding of QTNet`s literature. Actual costs may vary. Caveat Emptor.)®