JAPAN TELECOM TO EXPAND SERVICES FOR FIXED-RATE NET PACKAGE.

TOKYO, June 7 Asia Pulse - Japan Telecom Co. (TSE:9434) plans to offer more services as part of its fixed-rate Internet access package after regional telephone access charges are lowered, company president Haruo Murakami said Tuesday.

In mid-May, Japan Telecom began a service that offers users a fixed monthly charge for their Internet access and phone use.

Japan Telecom pays Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.'s (TSE:9432) two regional carriers directly for the phone lines used by its customers to access the Internet, meaning that a cut in the access charges levied by the regional carriers should be directly reflected in the price of Japan Telecom's service.

Consumers have expressed a desire to see lower Internet access fees rather than lower bills for long-distance phone service. Murakami said communications fees "are bound to fall because of competition," but he said Japan Telecom plans to "devise an original plan to benefit consumers."