Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

In 1854, when Perry revisited Japan, the Japanese Shogunate was gifted with telegraph sets. This event marked the official introduction of telegraph technology to Japan.

The first telegraph service in Japan was established over 150 years ago, laying the foundation for modern communication services in the country.

In 1869, the first telegraph service was initiated in Tokyo and Yokohama, which set the foundation for all future NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) endeavors.

The history of NTT Group dates back to 1870.

One year after its invention by Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone became available in Japan, initially reserved for government, public affairs organizations, and a few businesses. It was not until 1890 that telephone services became available to the general public.

The year 1890 marked the commencement of the first telephone service in Tokyo and Yokohama, establishing the groundwork for future communications technology developments in Japan.

The first long-distance telephone service became available between Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, marking a significant development in the country's telecommunications infrastructure.

By 1939, the number of subscriber telephones nationwide in Japan had reached 1 million, showcasing significant growth in telecommunication infrastructure.

On July 31, 1952, the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation Act was passed, laying the foundation for the establishment of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (Dendenkosha), which later evolved into the core company of NTT.

In 1953, the No. 23 Automatic Wall Telephone was introduced, revolutionizing communication by allowing users to call and talk without operator assistance, while significantly improving transmission quality.

The 600 model automatic table telephone, introduced in 1962, was praised for its transmission performance and cost efficiency. It gained popularity in households as the 'kurodenwa (black telephone)' due to its excellent communication functionality.

In 1967, The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation, known as NTT, established the DATA Communications Bureau, known as NTT DATA, marking the beginning of modern data communication services in Japan.

The original pocket bell (beeper) devices were created in 1968 as a useful communication tool for contacting salespeople who were out of the office. Over time, they became widely used and evolved into a communication tool for young people to play with numbers, laying the foundation for various mobile communication tools.

The Zengin System, introduced in 1973, revolutionized online money transfers by enabling 705 banks in Japan to transfer money electronically, showcasing the innovative use of data communication technology.

In October 1986, the minister of finance invited tenders for the initial price of NTT stock before its flotation, which was decided to be ¥1.97 million.

By February 9, 1987, NTT was listed on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka stock exchanges, with plans to extend to other Japanese stock exchanges.

NTT established NTT Data Communications Systems Corporations as a wholly owned subsidiary aimed at designing data communications for financial institutions, private companies, and government organizations. It provided training seminars and consultation facilities, proving to be profitable for the NTT group.

NTT Data played a significant role in setting up the Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange System in June 1989, highlighting its expertise in data communications for financial institutions.

In October 1990, NTT announced a plan to overturn the law obliging the government to hold one-third or more of NTT shares and restricting foreign ownership.

In December 1990, the Japanese government declared it would start selling 500,000 NTT shares annually from April 1991.

In March 1991, discussions began for a joint venture named Pathfinder involving NTT, a British telecommunications group, and the German telecommunications group Deutsche Bundespost Telecom to offer telecommunications network to large international companies.

In August 1991, Docomo was spun off from Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) to take over the mobile cellular operations.

NTT Docomo, Inc. was established in 1992 as the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan, offering a wide range of services including phone, video phone, i-mode internet, and mail services.

In 1995, NTT introduced the TZ-802 model, which despite weighing approximately 900g, played a significant role in laying the foundation for the concept of mobile telephones. This innovation marked a milestone as the number of people with mobile telephone contracts surpassed 100,000 for the first time.

In 1998, NTT was divided into a holding company and three telecom companies (East, West, and Communications) under the NTT Law. This restructuring aimed to weaken NTT's oligopolistic control over landlines in Japan.

Fixed price services offering high speed Internet access began in earnest on August 1, 2001, with an initial monthly fee of 9,000 yen for a maximum speed of 100 M. NTT East and West collectively concluded more than 2 million user contracts in the four years since the service started.

NTT has been actively working towards reducing waste and combating global warming by decreasing energy consumption, transitioning to low-emission vehicles, and minimizing paper usage.

In July 2010, NTT and South African IT company Dimension Data Holdings agreed on a cash offer for Dimension Data's entire issued share capital, in a deal worth £2.12bn ($3.24bn).

In November 2012, NTT Group announced the 'Towards the Next Stage' Medium-Term Management Strategy to accelerate initiatives.

In May 2015, NTT Group formulated and announced the 'Towards the Next Stage 2.0' Medium-Term Management Strategy to continue the initiatives set in the previous strategy.

In 2016, NTT acquired Dell Services, which was integrated into NTT DATA Services, strengthening NTT's position in the IT services market.

NTT Group aimed to reach 22 billion dollars in overseas sales by March 2018 as part of their strategic goals.

In October 2018, NTT became the first telecommunications operator to participate in global initiatives aimed at promoting smarter energy use, known as EP100 and EV100.

On July 1, 2019, NTT Security officially became part of NTT Ltd. This integration aimed to enhance the overall security services provided by NTT Ltd.

NTT's Kirari! is a telecommunication technology that aims to provide an ultra-realistic experience by presenting the space of a sporting venue in real time to viewers worldwide. It allows for the reproduction of athletes' performances and their environment with a high level of realism, delivering these experiences simultaneously to multiple locations globally.

In 2021, Nippon Telegraph & Tel issued green bonds valued at about 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion) with maturities of 3, 5, and 10 years for environmentally friendly projects.

In July 2023, NTT DATA shifted to a holding company structure with NTT DATA Group Corporation as the holding company, aiming for further business growth and global management.

NTT launches its solution brand 'NTT G×Inno' known as NTT's GX, focusing on innovation and technology.

Japan's NTT and NEC displayed a new technology that can increase optical network capacities by 12 times.

NTT unveiled its Medium-Term Management Strategy focusing on new value creation and sustainability, aiming to invest around 8 trillion yen in growth sectors over the next 5 years and increase annual EBITDA to about 4 trillion yen by fiscal year 2027.

NTT has formulated a new environment and energy vision 'NTT Green Innovation Toward 2040' to achieve zero environmental impact and economic growth through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and creation of breakthrough innovation.