The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is a masked survey of terminal sales to non -line contractors -Shouldn't the wholesale price problem be discussed when complete separation was considered: Ishikawa's smartphone industry newspaper?

On April 26, 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications held the "WG (17th)" on verification of competition rules.

Among them, the agenda was the problem of selling terminals for non -line contractors.The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications conducted a masked survey and 22 at NTT DOCOMO.2%, KDDI 29.9%, 9%in Softbank.At 3 % of stores, there was a refusal to sell terminals for non -line contractors.

This article is a part of the email magazine "Ishikawa Atsushi's smartphone industry newspaper" distributed every Saturday.This article was distributed on May 1, 2021.Click here to apply for e -mail magazine subscription (550 yen per month including tax).

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "it has not been thoroughly thoroughly at the site of a sales agent, and the proportion of the number of stores reported in business surveys is extremely small compared to the results of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications's masked survey.It is probable that the actual situation of such a site has not been fully understood and instructed. This must be acknowledged that he has not fully fulfilled the obligation to teach the distributors. "

However, according to an interview with the dealing agency operating corporation released at the same time, "While the terminals handled only are allowed to wholesale from the carrier, the wholesale price matches the online direct sales price of the carrier. Tentative.If the store sells a terminal at a direct sales price of a carrier, the gross profit by the terminal sales itself can be 0 yen. The terminal sales are treated in conjunction with new contracts and model changes, so there is a commission linked to the line contract.Although it is paid, it is not profitable to sell only terminals that are not linked to the line (white rom sales), and there are voices that deficit will occur depending on the sales conditions, such as credit card payments. "

In the first place, why did the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications conduct such a survey at this time?Isn't it too late to consider this situation as a problem right now?

Originally, it should be discussed at the stage of considering terminal sales and completely separation of communication contracts.By proceeding with completely separation, it was not necessary to verify that the site of the distributor would be confused and exhausted.

It would have been first to organize these problems and create an environment where the distributors make money.

Communication charges do not decrease → completely separated → Discount for terminals up to 20,000 yen → Sales agents do not make money even if they sell the terminal to non -line contractors → I was in trouble.It is in a poor state.

The negative effects of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and experts have been completely separated in the desk theory, have appeared at the site of the distributor.

Since each company has already appeared online -only plans and sub brands that have separated terminals, the level of communication charges is cheaper than in the world, so it is better to review the revision of the 2019 Telecommunications Business Law from the root.Isn't it good?

In the end, looking back, the price reduction of the communication fee was not a complete separation result, but only the highest Minister Takeda.

The rules created by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications have been abolished as much as possible, and the price plans are expensive, but it is better to be able to choose from various plans, such as a plan that can buy a high terminal at a high discount, and a plan that is completely separated and low in communication charges.Isn't it?Isn't an environment where careers and distributors can create price plans and sales methods with free ideas?

Because it creates an unnecessary rule of 20,000 yen limit, it is necessary to have an anachronistic initiative such as "selling to non -line contractors" or "mask survey" at the end of the clause.

Did the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications bureaucracy become a national public servant (or want to order a contractor) because he wanted to do a mask survey?

I would like the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to review what they really need to do for the telecommunications industry.