WI2 Press Eng

Visa and Wi2 offer free one-day Wi-Fi for Visa cardholders visiting Japan

2012-09-18T06:00:00Z

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Visa Worldwide (hereafter, Visa; Representative Director: Kazuhiko Okamoto; Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Wi2: President; Tomohito Takatsu) today announced the launch of free one-day Wi-Fi access on Wi2's "Wi2 300" Wi-Fi Service for all Visa cardholders visiting Japan. Effective immediately, this offer will run through August 29, 2014.

With the rapid growth of digital devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, the need for Wi-Fi Internet connection has never been stronger, especially with international tourists who have to pay high costs for data roaming outside their countries. In this regard, Japan is in acute lack of convenient Wi-Fi service available for international tourists with few companies providing multi-language support for their services.

To meet this demand, Visa and Wi2 have teamed up to offer free one-day Wi-Fi connection with multi-language support for visiting tourists, followed by a 20 percent discount for three-day and seven-day Wi-Fi service offered by Wi2. Wi-Fi networks are available throughout Japan, including major airports and leading merchants such as Starbucks and Lawson convenience stores.

To enjoy the offer, Visa cardholders are required to register on the Wi2 website ( http://300.wi2.co.jp/campaign/visa/ ) before departure from their home countries. Alternatively, after they arrive in Japan, visiting tourists simply find either "Wi2" or "Wi2premium" access points to access the website for registration. Registration for the one-day free access is easy on the Wi2 website, which is available in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean and English. After the one-day free access expires, cardholders are given the option to buy either a three-day or seven-day service package at a 20 percent discount.

This campaign will be promoted by Japan National Tourism Organization through their channels.

Terms and conditions apply. For details, please go to http://300.wi2.co.jp/campaign/visa/

About Visa:

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks?VisaNet?that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com (English) or www.visa.co.jp (Japanese).

About Wi2

Wi2 is one of the largest Wi-Fi Service Providers in Japan providing services for both Japanese and international tourists. Wi2 also provides not only B2B solutionsThe "Wi2 300" service is available nationwide, including train stations, airports, hotels, cafe, restaurants, and convenience stores. For more information, please visit http://300.wi2.co.jp/.

Skype Access is Now Available at Wi2 Hotspots across Japan

2011-07-14T11:37:23Z

July 14^th, 2011

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Skype Technologies S.A.

Wire and Wireless (Wi2), one of the largest Wi-Fi hotspot providers in Japan, announced today a partnership with Skype, a leading provider of Internet communications software, to make Skype Access available at Wi2's over 4,100 Wi-Fi hotspots across Japan.

Through this agreement, travellers and users on-the-move will be able to instantly access the Internet via Skype Access a product that lets anyone pay for Wi-Fi access per minute using Skype credit, to surf the web, email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls using their existing Skype credentials. Skype Access is currently available at thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide (500,000 worldwide), and its access fee at Wi2 Wi-Fi hotspots is 15JPY per minute.

To commemorate this partnership, Skype and Wi2 will conduct "Skype Access and Wi2 Correspondence Campaign," a promotional campaign which allows users to enjoy free Skype Access^[1]at approximately 4,100 Wi2 WiFi hotspots across the nation, starting July 14^th through August 14^th[2].

With the addition ofWi2, the Wi-Fi coverage will be expanded in the areas including the airport, train stations, airport buses, and commercial complexes, enabling Skype users to utilize the secure high-speed internet service easily and comfortably. Users can use Skype Access at Wi2's Service Set Identifier (SSID) "Wi2" and "[wi2]" by logging into Skype on their Windows PC or Mac.

Wi2 President Tomohito Takatsu said, "We are delighted that our extensive Wi-Fi coverage is now available to Skype users. We will continuously expand our service area to provide an easier and more comfortable Internet access for Japanese users in the future."

Also, Skype Country Manager Shinichi Iwata said, "As approximately 30 million concurrent users^[3] are connected to Skype at peak times, the increase in WiFi hotspots will surely enhance convenience for users in Japan. It will help all users in need of the Wi-Fi access easily connect to the Internet using their existing Skype Credit."

[1]. Free usage is unlimited but each session lasts for 30 minutes maximum.
[2]. Promotion starts onThursday 14th July at 0:01 and ends on Sunday 14th July at 23:59.
[3]. As of March 2011

Media Resources:

For details on the Skype Access fee, please go to:

https://support.skype.com/ja/faq/FA10010/Skype-Accessno-shii-fangwo-jiaoetekudasai#3[am1]

More details of the promotional campaign can be found here. (http://www.wi2.co.jp/faq/2011/07/wi2skype.html)[am2]

To locate the nearest Wi2 WiFi hotspot that supports Skype Access, please access http://300.wi2.co.jp/area/2/ and search with keywords such as the station name or address. The "blue pin" or a "Wi2" as the access point displayed on the map indicates the Wi2 Wi-Fi hotspot (SSID: "Wi2" or "[wi2]").

About Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless offers the widest Wi-Fi coverage in Japan. Not only the company installs Wi-Fi stations and develops the coverage area, it also provides flexible solutions to accommodate customer needs.

"Wi2 300," a wireless broadband internet service, enables users using Wi-Fi-enabled devices including laptops, iPhone™3G, smart phones such as Android devices, iPad®, iPod® touch, Nintendo DS, PSP® to easily access the Internet. The service is available at more than 13,000 Wi-Fi spots nationwide, including train stations, airports, hotels, McDonald's, etc. For more information, please go to http://300.wi2.co.jp/.

About Skype

Skype is a communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to do things together whenever they're apart.

Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg. Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free at www.skype.com.

You can get news and updates from Skype on its Blog: http://blogs.skype.com/ja/,  Twitter: twitter.com/skype, or Facebook: www.facebook.com/skype.

Skype, associated trademarks and logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.

Contacts

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Kaoru Shichijo

Tel. 03-6758-2129

pr@wi2.co.jp

For Skype
Go Ichino / Masaki Asanuma

Tel . +81-(0)3-3264-6701

Skype.PR@bm.com

iPass and Wi2, To Start Roaming Partnership in Japan

2010-03-03T00:59:24Z

iPass Inc.(headquartered in Redwood Shores, CA., USA ; president: Evan Kaplan ; hereinafter "iPass") and Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd(headquartered in Tokyo, Japan; president: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2") today announced a roaming partnership. This new roaming service will allow iPass customers to use Wi-Fi connectivity in service areas of "Wi2 300", public wireless LAN service provided by Wi2.

　According to" iPass Mobile Broadband Index" (First half of 2008) announced by iPass in September 2008, Tokyo ranked as the world's third busiest city in terms of Wi-Fi use behind London and Singapore and the usage is expected to increase.

Wi2 provides its public wireless LAN service "Wi2 300" at approximately 7,000 hotspots including Wi2's own hotspots and roaming areas (BB mobilepoint and Livedoor Wireless). Thanks to this roaming with Wi2, iPass customers are able to enjoy Wi-Fi connectivity at Wi2's own area such as Marunouchi (three buildings of Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo) , Yokohama Bay area ( Yokohama Stadium, Motomachi, Red Brick Warehouse, Isesakicho, and Chinatown), and limousine buses en route to and from Narita/Haneda airports. "Wi2 300" is aimed to be conveniently used not only by Japanese but also foreign visitors. Especially, more than half of users are foreigners in limousine bus and Wi2 pays attention to high demand for Wi-Fi of foreign people. iPass has a solid customer base of over 3,500 global enterprise customers; Japanese or Foreign enterprise with offices in Tokyo, or the enterprise whose employees frequently make business trip to Tokyo. These new Wi2 Wi-Fi hotspots are already available to iPass customers.

Augustine Ler, Senior Manager for Asia Pacific Supplier Relationships commented: "Japan is a key business destination for our global customer base and we are always looking at new providers to further expand our global Wi-Fi network. With over 140,000 Wi-Fi locations available to its customers, iPass offers unparalleled connectivity around the world today."

　Wi2 will generate new use scenarios through promotion of its wireless platforms while expanding its lineup of entertaining content. Wi2 expects that wireless broadband including Wireless LAN will fit into different lifestyles.

【iPass】

Founded in 1996 iPass (NASDAQ:IPAS) is a leading provider of enterprise mobility services with 3,500 customers, including more than 370 of the Forbes Global 2000.The company's mission is to be enterprise's champion in the world of mobility by providing services that simply, smartly and openly facilitate access from any device on any network, while providing the visibility and control necessary to support the demands of the enterprise customer. For more information, visit www.iPass.com or follow iPass on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iPass.

【Wi2 300】

Wi2 300 is a wireless broadband internet service offered by Wi2. Laptop computers, iPhones and other devices with Wi-Fi capabilities can easily access the service. It is available at 7000 wireless LAN spots nationwide, including the Marunouchi area (Maru Bldg., Shin Maru Bldg., Marunouchi Oazo), shuttle buses to and from Narita and Haneda airports, and roaming areas (BB Mobilepoint and Livedoor Wireless).

For more information check http://300.wi2.co.jp/

For press inquiries:

iPass Inc,

PR: Estelle Derouet

Tel: +44 20 7534 4910

Email: pr@ipass.com

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

PR: Shichijo

Tel: +81-3-3453-6305

Email: pr@wi2.co.jp

Weekender and Wi2 AnnounceNew Service Targeting Non-Japanese in Japan

2009-10-15T11:24:52Z

Bulbous Cell Media Group KK (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Ray Pedersen; hereafter Weekender) and Wire and Wireless Co.,Ltd. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masao Hibino; hereafter Wi2) have cooperated on a new project targeting non-Japanese in Tokyo.

Starting from October, Weekender's unique, international-minded web content is now available for free to anyone who accesses the English portal of the Wi2300 wireless LAN internet service available inside shuttle buses between Narita Airport and locations such as Marunouchi and Yokohama. Weekender will be collaborating by introducing the Wi2300 service to expat readers of its free magazine and website in order to increase recognition of the service.

[ Wi2 300 English Portal site ]

Wi2's wireless LAN internet service Wi2 300 is not only for Japanese, but is also useful for all residents of Japan, as well as foreigners visiting the country. Especially on shuttle buses to and from Narita Airport, foreigners make up about half of the users of the service. Weekender has the longest history of any English free magazine in Japan, delivering up-to-date content to expat business people and families. By implementing this joint promotion, Weekender and Wi2 are offering foreign tourists and business people the ability to access news and information in real time, and expansion of the service is planned in order to further increase convenience.

Wi2 understands wireless platforms and is expanding the contents it offers in order to increase the enjoyment of users. Wi2 is committed to increasing the reach of its wireless LAN and wireless broadband services to fit into various people's lifestyles.

【Wi2 300】

Wi2 300 is a wireless broadband internet service offered by Wi2. Laptop computers, iPhones and other devices with WiFi capabilities can easily access the service. It is available at 7000 wireless LAN spots nationwide, including the Marunouchi area (Maru Bldg., Shin Maru Bldg., Marunouchi Oazo), shuttle buses to and from Narita and Haneda airports, and roaming areas (BB Mobile Points and LiveDoor Wireless).

For more information check http://300.wi2.co.jp/ orwww.weekenderjapan.com

For press inquiries:

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

PR: Shichijo

Tel: 03-3453-6305

Email:pr@wi2.co.jp

Bulbous Cell Media Group KK

Ray Pedersen

Tel: 03-5549-2038

Email:ray@weekenderjapan.com

Wi2 and Keisei BusCommercial Wi2 300 Service to Start in High-speed Bus and Night High-speed Bus

2009-07-30T07:05:26Z

　Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino, hereinafter "Wi2") and Kesei Bus Co.,Ltd.(headquartered in Sumida-ku, Tokyo; President: Seiichi Oda, hereinafter "Keisei Bus) will introduce a wireless LAN (WiFi) (*1) broadband internet access service, Wi2 300, on total of 148 buses of Keise Bus's high-speed buses and night high-speed buses to launch the service on August 1.

　Wi2 and Keisei Bus started the trial service on 2 routes of "Shinurayasu/Tokyo Disney Resort～Tokyo Station and Akihabara Station" and "Chiba-kita IC/Tokyo Station/Shiomi Station" on June 23rd, which has acquired many users' registrations. Based on the successful result, the companies are to expand commercial Wi2 300service to total of148 buses including high speed buses of Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station, and Tokyo Disney Resort and night high-speed buses between Tokyo～Osaka/Koube, Kyoto, Nagoya in addition to the buses that conducted trial service.

　The user on board the bus can easily access high-speed broadband internet on for free of charge until August 31 in exchange for e-mail address registration. (The service will be charged from September 1.) The sticker of Wi2 300 is attached on the front of bus Wi2 300 is available, which makes user know whether Wi2 is available or not on the bus. On night high-speed buses the connection is not avilable during sleeping time period.（*2）

　Wi2 and Keisei Bus make much of internet connection needs on the long-distance bus where users will stay a long time such as high-speed night buses in addition to the needs for the buses en route to and from Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Tokyo Station and Tokyo Disney Resort.

　Keisei Bus will provide the space for equipment installation and make promotional announcements and is committed to enhancing users convenience and to providing more comfortable travel experience

　Sticker image of Wi2 300

*1 WiFi

Wi-Fi is an IEEE 802.11 series standard and a network built based on the Wi-Fi technology is generally called Wireless LAN. This short range communication system uses unlicensed spread spectrum such as 2.4GHz band and 5GHz band and supports the maximum reach of 100m and the maximum transfer speed of 300Mbps(11n) or 54Mbps(11a/g). Wi-Fi is supported by various mobile devices including laptops, mobile phones such as iPhone™3G and game consoles such as Nintendo DS, PSP™, iPod®touch.

On the night buses, Wi2 300 is not available for the period from the last bus stop on the boarding day to the first bus stop on the next day due to the sleeping time.

■Contact information

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Public Relations Arima and Shichijo　

TEL：03-3453-6305　E-mail：pr@wi2.co.jp　URL:http://www.wi2.co.jp

Keisei Bus Co.,Ltd.

General Affairs Dept. Edamura, Tanala, and Kitamura

TEL：03-3621-2561 　E-mail：soumu@keiseibus.co.jp

"Wi2 300" Co-promoted by Magibon in Video ～Friend Campaign that you will get the E-mail from Magibon～

2009-07-21T12:57:01Z

　Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino, hereinafter "Wi2") chose Magibon, the celebrity on the Net for the promotion of its wireless LAN internet Service,"Wi2 300".

　Magibon who comes from USA is a celebrity spotlighted on YouTube for these 3 years.

She will play the part in the promotion of Wi2 300 to introduce the use scene and its usability. Wi2 will show on its homepage the video that recorded Magibon actually using Wi2 300 at Wi2's own areas such as Marunouchi (three buildings of Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo) , Yokohama Bay area ( Yokohama Stadium, Motomachi, Red Brick Warehouse, Isesakicho, and Chinatown), and limousine buses en route to and from Narita/Haneda airports.

In addition, Magibon will be engaged in the promotion of the Friend Campaign that Wi2 will start on August 1st. In Friend Campaign, the Wi2 300 users introduce the service to their friends and acquaintances, who subscribe to Wi2 300 and both users to introduce and to be introduced will get the benefit of one-month free of charge. Here if you send the E-mail to Magibon's address: magibon@wi2.co.jp, you will receive the Friend Campagin E-mail from Magibon. Then you will apply for Wi2 300 based on the E-mail from Magibon and will enjoy the benefit of the free charge. Magibon's Video of Friend Campaign is on Wi2's YouTube site http://www.youtube.com/Wi2Tube.　

　※Magibon comes from Pennsylvania,USA and is a celebrity on the internet. She has uploaded over 60 videos onto her YouTube channel since July 2006. In some of her videos, Magibon speaks or sings in Japanese, which has been paid attention not only in the USA but also in Japan with the result of 60 million access to her video files and 5.9 million views on Magibon Channel. She learned Japanese language and Japanese culture via internet.

■Contact Information

Shichijo

Public Relations, Wire and Wireless, Co., Ltd.

TEL：03-3453-6305　E-mail：pr@wi2.co.jp　

URL:http://www.wi2.co.jp

URL for Wi2 300: http://300.wi2.co.jp/

New Line-up for Wi2 300 One-time Plan To Be Introduced

2009-07-15T01:25:03Z

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino, hereinafter "Wi2") introduces 3day plan and 1 week plan as new one-time plan set to its broadband internet access service, Wi2 300, as of today.

The one-time plan set allows people with short-term needs for "Wi2 300" such as visitors from abroad casually enjoy broadband access.

In addition to 24 hours plan Wi2 started on June 1st, Wi2 introduced the new plans that enable people use WiFi access more conveniently and flexibly. Subscribers can use the service regardless of the amount of packet exchanged for up to 3days with 3day plan and up to 7days with 1 week plan after a login.

☆ 3 day Plan

　　　　・Available for 72 hours after log-in

　　　　・Fee: 1,500 yen

☆ 1 week Plan

　　　　・Available for 168 hours after log-in

　　　　・Fee: 2,000 yen

　Wi2 300 is a wireless broadband internet access service that Wi2 offers. The service is easily accessible on WiFi (wireless LAN) enabled devices such as laptops and iPhone™3G. In addition to Wi2 service areas of Marunouchi (three buildings of Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo), Yokohama bay area (Yokohama Stadium, MotoMachi Dori, Red Brick Warehouse, Isesakicho, and Chinatown) and limousine buses en route to and from Narita/Haneda airports, the Wi2 300 service is available at a total of 6,800 WiFi spots across the nation including roaming areas (BB Mobile Points and Livedoor Wireless).

【Contact Information】

Arima and Shichijo,

Public Relations, Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Tel: 03-3453-6305　　Eメール：pr@wi2.co.jp URL: http://www.wi2.co.jp

Wireless Internet Access Service to Launch in Yokohama area

2009-07-01T01:43:57Z

　Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2") launches Wireless LAN internet access service in Yokohama area as of July 1st, 2009. The addition of this area will bring the total count of Wi2 300 access points (AP) to approximately 6,800.

　Wi2 provided WiFi trial service in Yokohama bay area from July to October in last year and cultivated the knowhow for WiFi service there. The knowhow and equipment of the trial are utilized in the commercial WiFi service.

　The service is available in the major sightseeing spots currently alive with Y150 EXPO, including Yokohama Stadium, MotoMachi Dori, Red Brick Warehouse, Isesakicho, and Chinatown. Wi2 also plans to introduce content delivery service and application that suit Yokohama area.

【Yokohama Portal Image】

【Contact Information】

Arima and Shichijo, Public Relations, Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Tel: 03-3453-6305　　Eメール：　pr@wi2.co.jp

【Details for Wi2 300】　　http://300.wi2.co.jp/en

One-time Plan To Be Introduced to Wi2 300

2009-06-01T08:34:15Z

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino, hereinafter "Wi2") introduces a "one-time plan" to its broadband internet access service, Wi2 300, for its one-time users as of today.
　
The new rate plan allows people with short-term needs for "Wi2 300" such as visitors from abroad casually enjoy broadband access.
Subscribers can use the service regardless of the amount of packet exchanged for up to 24 hours after a login.

☆ One-time Plan
　　　　・Available for 24 hours after log-in
　　　　・Fee: 800 yen

☆ Monthly Plan
　　　　 Basic monthly charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go (0.0015 yen per
　　　　 packet) with a maximum total of 980 yen
　　　
　　　　 Customers who subscribe to the service in the period from April 20 to
　　　　 July 31, 2009 will get the benefit of continued use at the following
　　　　 campaign price.

　　　　 * Campaign price: basic monthly charge of 0 yen plus pay-as-you-go
　　　　 (same as above) with a maximum total of 490 yen

Wi2 300 is a wireless broadband internet access service that Wi2 offers. The service is easily accessible on WiFi (wireless LAN) enabled devices such as laptops and iPhone™3G. In addition to Wi2 service areas of Marunouchi (three buildings of Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo) and limousine buses en route to and from Narita/Haneda airports, the Wi2 300 service is available at a total of 6,700 WiFi spots across the nation including roaming areas (BB Mobile Points and Livedoor Wireless).
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Wi2 will generate new use scenarios through promotion of its wireless platforms while expanding its lineup of entertaining content. Wi2 expects that wireless broadband including Wireless LAN will fit into different lifestyles.

■Contact Information
Arima and Shichijo
Public Relations, Wire and Wireless, Co., Ltd.
TEL: 03-3453-6305　Mail: pr@wi2.co.jp

Broadband Internet Access Service to be Introduced to All Keikyu Limousine (Airport Limousine and Aqua-line) Buses

2009-05-19T08:27:11Z

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino, hereinafter "Wi2") and Keihin Kyuko Bus Co., Ltd of the Keikyu group (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Mikio Tanizawa, hereinafter Keikyu Bus) will introduce a wireless LAN (WiFi) (*1) broadband internet access service, Wi2 300, on all Keikyu limousine buses to launch the service on June 1.
The addition of 182 Keikyu buses will bring the total count of Wi2 300 access points to approximately 6,400 including the Wi2-owned access points in the Marunouchi area.

The user on board the bus can easily access high-speed broadband internet on any Wi-Fi enabled PC or mobile device. The service will be provided free of charge until July 31 in exchange for e-mail address registration. (The service will be charged from August 1.)

The deployment of Wi2 300 on limousine buses which connect airports and major cities/terminal stations allows not only Japanese but also travelers from abroad to access the broadband internet. Wi2 also plans to introduce a "portal service on board buses" to provide location-based information and content by delivering useful information such as information of destinations (stations and airports) and advertisements to the user's Wi-Fi enabled devices on hand.

"Wi2 300" on the buses is a Wi2 service combining HSDPA (*2) and Wi-Fi and enables internet access on moving vehicles. Wi2 will install, maintain and support the equipment including mobile routers.
Wi2 will generate new use scenarios through promotion of its wireless platforms while expanding its lineup of entertaining content. Wi2 expects that wireless broadband including Wireless LAN will fit into different lifestyles.

Keikyu Bus will provide space for equipment installation and make promotional announcements on the service both inside and outside of the buses. Keikyu Bus hopes offer more comfortable and convenient travelling experience to more passengers by making the internet access service available on airport limousine and Aqua Line buses.
Connection Image

Connection Image

■Distribution of this press release:
Press club for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; press club for information and telecommunications; press club at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications; Tokiwa Club; press club for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government; and press club for economy in Yokohama　

■Media contact:
Arima and Shichijo, Public Relations, Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
TEL: 03-3453-6305　Mail: pr@wi2.co.jp
Ichihashi, Ishihara and Tada, Public Relations, General Affairs Dept, Keihin Electric Express Railway Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3280-9129

Reference

*2 HSDPA
HSDPA, which stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, is standardized by 3GPP as an extension of W-CDMA to dramatically increase the downlink speed in response to needs for higher speed packet data transmission. Theoretically, the technology supports the maximum speed of 14Mbps.

High-speed, Highly Secure Wireless LAN Service, "Wi2 300" Starts!- With initial subscription campaign of 490 yen maximum-

2009-04-20T08:20:58Z

April 20, 2009
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2") launches Wi2300, a wideband, high-security wireless connectivity service based on the next generation wireless communication standard as of April 20, 2009.

The Wi2 300 service enables internet access through a high-speed, high-security wireless LAN in commercial zones of three buildings in the Marunouchi area (Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo). Customers who subscribe to the service by July 31, 2009 can continue to use the service at a special price of monthly basic charge of 0 yen plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 490 yen.
The service can be subscribed to by accessing:
URL：http://300.wi2.co.jp/en/

Wi2 300 realizes 300Mbps wide band conforming to the next generation communication standard of IEEE 802.11n (*1) and high security of encrypted communication and user authentication conforming to 802.11i (*2) in its access points. Wi2 also makes 6,100 access points nationwide available to its customers by making roaming arrangements with incumbent public wireless LAN service providers such as Livedoor and SoftBank Telecom. A high user convenience is achieved by providing easy access tool that automatically connects to the service even in the roaming area with users who have registered their account and password.

Wi2 will also launch a location-based service. As a first step, information on stores and events will be delivered based on the user's location information. The service will eventually be enriched to deliver information real-time.

[Service overview]
◆ Supported devices: laptops, iPhone 3G, iPod(R) touch, Windows(R) Mobile, Nintendo DS and PSP(R)
*Some services may not be available depending on the devices.
◆ Charges (tax included)
　・Monthly basic charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go (0.0015 yen per packet) with the maximum of 980 yen in total
　*Location-based service is provided free of charge.
◆ Start-up campaign
Customers who sign up for the service in the period starting on the service launch day in April 2009 and ending on July 30 2009 will be able to continue to use the service at the following campaign price beyond the campaign period.
* Campaign price: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with the maximum of 490 yen in total
◆ Special campaign for Marunouchi business persons
Those working in the Marunouchi area will get 100 yen off.
* Campaign price: monthly basic charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go with the maximum of 880 yen
The user can get combined benefit with the "three month sign-up campaign".
* Double benefits: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with the maximum of 390 yen

*1 802.11n
By dual channeling with 802.11n Draft2.0 (3x3 MIMO), it achieves the theoretical transmission speed of 300Mbps at maximum.
Technically, the standard broadens the bandwidth by using MIMO（Multiple Input Multiple Output）(*3), review of transmission procedures, channel bonding that combines multiple channels (bandwidths used for transmission) etc, while achieving stabilization such as expanding areas supporting wider band communication compared to 802.11a/b/g.

*2 802.11i
A standard for wireless LAN network security specified by IEEE which uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) for encryption and includes user authentication based on 802.1X.
This standard was laid down to reinforce the Wireless LAN security including the solution for WEP vulnerability. AES is an encryption method used in WPA2 (*4)
*All company names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

[Contact Information]
General contact:
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
Email: wifi@wi2.co.jp

Media contact:
Arima & Shichijo
Public Relations
Wire & Wireless Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3453-6305　　E-mail：pr@wi2.co.jp

Real-time Location-based information Service to Launch in Marunouchi Area- starting with Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo -

2009-03-25T08:08:07Z

March 25, 2009

To all media

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2") and Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president: Keiji Kimura; hereinafter "Mitsubishi Estate") announce the launch of an information providing service in the Marunouchi area via the wireless broadband networks built in the Marunouchi area from April this year.
The service makes information on stores and events available to users based on their current location and attribute information free of charge by linking "Wi2 300", a wireless internet service of Wi2, and the information provided by "Marunouchi.com", a local portal site operated by Mitsubishi Estate, over the wideband, high-security and highly functional public wireless LAN built in these buildings. At the same time, an English language service will start to make such information available to tourists and business travelers from foreign countries. The real-time search of the whereabouts of "Marunouchi Shuttle" (operated by Hinomaru Limousine Co., Ltd.) which travels around the Marunouchi area will also be made available using "Wi2 Vehicle", a Wi2 service for transportation facilities.
The service which will initially start in full scale in Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi oazo is planned to be expanded to other buildings in the Marunouchi area.
Companies will collaborate in revitalizing and improving the added value of the entire area through provision of these services.

1. Description of service in Marunouchi area
[Location-based area information service] Screen sample: See the attachment.
This service makes information based on user's location available free of charge. The user can confirm their "current location" on the screen of their laptops or mobile devices and can download local maps, floor maps, and store and event information on the floor in easy-to-understand formats.
■ Service area: Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi oazo (expansion to other buildings is planned in phases)
■ Supported devices: laptops, iPhone(TM)3G, iPod(R) touch, Windows Mobile (planned), Nintendo DS (planned) and PSP(TM) (planned)
■URL　http://marunouchi.wi2.ne.jp/

Marunouchi Shuttle Real-Time Location Search Service] Screen sample: See the attachment.
This service allows the search of the whereabouts of the bus in real time and free of charge. The user can see the current location of the bus marked on the route map and can easily check the expected arrival time and timetable at each bus station and. The internet access service for Wireless LAN devices is also offered on board the bus.
■ Supported devices: laptops, iPhon(TM)3G, iPod(R) touch, Windows Mobile (planned), Nintendo DS (planned), PSP(TM)(planned) and cellular phones (planned)
■URL　http://marunouchi.wi2.ne.jp/shuttle/

2. Description of Wi2 300 service
◆ Characteristics of Wi2 300
・ 300Mbps wideband high-speed data transmission (conforming to IEEE 802.11n*1)
・ High security (with encrypted communication and user authentication conforming to 802.11i*2)
・ Automatic access by an easy access tool
・ Location-based area information service provided by Wi2 Engine, a proprietary technology of Wi2
・ Excellent user interface

◆ Charges (tax included)
・Monthly basic charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 980 yen
　*Location-based area information service and Marunouchi Shuttle real-time location search service will be provided free of charge.

◆Three month sign-up campaign
Customers who sign up for the service in the period beginning on the service launch day in April 2009 and ending on July 31, 2009 will be able to continue using the service at the following campaign price.
* Campaign price: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 490 yen

◆ Special campaign for Marunouchi business persons
Users working in the Marunouchi area will get 100 yen off.
* Campaign price: monthly basic charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 880 yen
Users can get combined benefit with the "three month sign-up campaign".
* Double benefits: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 390 yen

[Contact Information]
Contact for further information on this business

Arima & Shichijo
Public Relations
Wire & Wireless Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3453-6305　　E-mail：pr@wi2.co.jp

Contact for further information on the Marunouchi area
Public Relations
Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3287-5200

Broadband Internet Access Service to Launch on All Fleet of Limousine Busses en Route to and from Narita and Haneda Airports

2009-03-25T08:03:31Z

[Press Release]　

March 25, 2009
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2" and Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd (headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo; president: Mitsuo Suzuki; hereinafter "Limousine Bus") will launch Wi2 Vehicle, a Wireless LAN(WiFi) (*1) broadband internet access service, on all fleet of limousine buses en route to and from Narita and Haneda Airports.
The service has been on a joint commercial trial conducted by two companies since December last year. The equipment installation on buses will start in April and the service will go into full-scale operation in June.
　
The new service will make it possible for users with Wireless LAN enabled personal computers, mobile devices and game consoles to easily access high-speed broadband internet on board busses.
The introduction of Wi2 Vehicle to all limousine buses connecting airports and hotels will allow foreign visitors as well as Japanese to enjoy uninterrupted broadband internet access. A "portal service for buses" planned for future deployment will provide users with timely information and content by delivering useful information and advertisements on destinations (hotels and airports) to Wireless LAN enabled devices on hand.

"Wi2 Vehicle" is a Wi2 service combining HSDPA (*2) and WiFi to enable an internet access service on travelling vehicles. Wi2 will install mobile routers and other equipment and provide maintenance and support service.
Wi2 will generate new use scenarios through promotion of its wireless platforms while expanding its lineup of entertaining content. Wi2 expects that wireless broadband including Wireless LAN will fit into different lifestyles.
　
Limousine Bus will provide the space for equipment installation and make promotional announcements and is committed to providing more comfortable travel experience by improving convenience of passengers.

Image

*1 WiFi
Wi-Fi is an IEEE 802.11 series standard and a network built based on the Wi-Fi technology is generally called Wireless LAN. This short range communication system uses unlicensed spread spectrum such as 2.4GHz band and 5GHz band and supports the maximum reach of 100m and the maximum transfer speed of 54Mbps. Wi-Fi is supported by various mobile devices including laptops, mobile phones such as iPhone(TM)3G and game consoles such as Nintendo DS, P(TM), iPod(R)touch.

*2 HSDPA
HSDPA, which stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, is standardized by 3GPP as an extension of W-CDMA to dramatically increase the downlink speed in response to needs for higher speed packet data transmission. Theoretically, the technology supports the maximum speed of 14Mbps.

[Contact Information]
Media contact

Arima & Shichijo
Public Relations
Wire & Wireless Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3453-6305　　E-mail：pr@wi2.co.jp

Mori & Yamaguchi
Sales Planning Department
Airport Transport Service
TEL：03-3665-7258 　E-mail：hp200704@limousinebus.co.jp

Launch of area innovation business leveraging wideband, high-security & highly functional next generation radio transmission standard- Toward establishment of Japan's largest broadband network -

2009-03-25T07:56:08Z

March 25, 2009
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino; hereinafter "Wi2") will launch an area innovation business on April 1, 2009 based on a wideband, high-security and high-function wireless platform conforming to the next generation radio transmission standard. The business is the combination of Wi2 300, a wireless connectivity service developed by Wi2, and Wi2 Engine which materializes a high value-added user interface (UI).

The area innovation business improves user's convenience and further revitalizes the community through the wireless broadband network Wi2 will actively deploy region by region. Wi2 will provide users with new use of radio broadband over the wireless platform evenly spread throughout the region, while implementing various measures to upgrade the value of the region together with local businesses.
The first round of the business starts in April in Marunouchi area (three buildings of Marunouchi Building, Shin-Marunouchi Building and Marunouchi Oazo) and will be spread to major offices, other commercial zones and shopping malls in the metropolitan area.

Wi2 300 achieves 300M wideband conforming to the next generation wireless communication standard of IEEE 802.11n (*1) and high-security by encrypted communication and user authentication conforming to 802.11i (*2) in its access points.
In order to achieve a high rate of area coverage, Wi2 will make roaming arrangements with incumbent communication service providers to build one of Japan's largest wireless networks. Besides, Wi2 will offer a high level of convenience to its users by providing customers who register their accounts and passwords with a tool which allows them an automatic access to roaming areas in addition to Wi2 areas.

Wi2 Engine which serves the core of the wireless platform offers a unique graphical user interface which links maps with the content tiles which show the information of restaurants and stores based on the activity history and the location information of the user measured from their access point.

Wi2 will continue to generate new usage scenarios through promotion of its wireless platforms and expand the lineup of entertaining contents at the same time, expecting further spread of wireless broadband such as Wireless LAN into people's lifestyles.

*1 802.11n
By dual channeling with 802.11n Draft2.0 (3x3 MIMO), it achieves the theoretical transmission speed of 300Mbps at maximum.
Technically, the standard broadens the bandwidth by using MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)(*3), reviewing transmission procedures, channel bonding that combines multiple channels (bandwidths used for transmission) etc, while achieving stabilization such as expanding areas supporting wider band communication compared to 802.11a/b/g.

*3 MIMO
A wireless transmission technology to broaden the data transmission/reception bandwidth by combining multiple antennas. MIMO is applied to broaden the bandwidth of Wireless LAN.

*4 WPA/WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) is an authorization program conducted by the Wi-Fi Alliance and demonstrates that the particular network equipment conforms to the security protocol specified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It also means the security protocol itself. WPA was laid down by the Wi-Fi Alliance as a solution to the vulnerability of WEP before the finalization of 802.11i. The protocol implements the main part of IEEE 802.11i and was specified as a workaround to replace WEP until 802.11i is completed. Currently, WPA2 conforms to 802.11i and the interconnectivity with WPA is required for WPA2 authorization by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

[Service Overview]
◆ Supported Devices: laptops, iPhone(TM)3G, iPod(R)touch, Windows Mobile (TBD), Nintendo DS (TBD) and PSP(TM) (TBD)

◆ Charges (tax included)
・ Monthly basic charge of 105 yen and pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 980 yen
* The location-based area information service and Marunouchi shuttle real-time location search service are free of charge.

◆ Three month sign-up campaign
Customers who sign up for the service in the period beginning on the service launch day in April and ending on July 31, 2009 will enjoy the continued use of the service at the following campaign price.
* Campaign price: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 490 yen

◆Special campaign for Marunouchi business persons
Users working in the Marunouchi area will get 100 yen off.
* Campaign fee: monthly basic charge of 105 yen plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 880 yen
Users can get combined benefit with the "three month sign-up campaign".
* Double benefits: zero monthly basic charge plus pay-as-you-go with a maximum total of 390 yen

[Contact information]
General contact:
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
Email: wifi@wi2.co.jp
Media contact:
Public Relations: Arima & Shichijo
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.
TEL：03-3453-6305　Email: pr@wi2.co.jp

Launch of MVNO Data Service and Meeting Room Solution- Using SoftBank Mobile cellular phone network -

2009-03-25T07:50:40Z

March 25, 2009
Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd.

Wire and Wireless Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Wire & Wireless"; headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masao Hibino) will launch　Wi2 Mobile, an MVNO (*1) data service using the cellular phone network on April 1, 2009. The services uses the cellular phone network of SoftBank Mobile, allowing internet access nationwide using a dedicated datacard.

The company will also launch Wi2 Biz, a meeting room solution for local businesses. This service is achieved by the combination of Wi2 Mobile and mobile routers (*2).
The use of mobile routers and the Wireless LAN service platform provided by Wire & Wireless such as Wi2 300 allows easy configuration of highly secure Wireless LAN conforming to WPA/WPA2(802.11i).

Wi2 expects the need for these service and solution among companies who need a Wireless LAN for meeting rooms and exhibit halls in addition to internal networks or at conferences and tradeshows where a Wireless LAN is offered to general visitors for a given period. The Wi2Mobile service and the Wi2 Biz solution will be marketed mainly through distributors.

Wire & Wireless will also provide cellular phone users with a service which combines Wi2Mobile and Wi2 300 to allow high-speed internet access in Wi2 300 coverage areas. The user can use the MVNO service of Wi2 Mobile once they are out of Wi2 300 coverage. Mobile device users can maximize the combined convenience of the high-speed transmission in the WiFi zones and a high service coverage of the cellular phone system.

◇Wi2 Mobile
Service charge:
2,700 yen (tax excluded) for initial handling
5,480 yen (tax excluded) monthly charge
Contract Term: Two years

◇Wi2 Biz
Charges:
   In addition to Wi2 Mobile fees, mobile router fee will be charged separately.
   Sales price of mobile router: around 30,000 yen (rental service is also
   considered)

*1 MVNO
MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator, an operator who provides its service on the wireless transmission infrastructure offered by another operator on loan.
*2 Mobile router
A router that delivers network services to WiFi devices by using cellular phone data network (HSDPA) for the WAN/LAN lines of Wireless LAN access points without installing WAN/LAN cables.