Global Cases
Widely supporting people’s daily lives as Japan’s largest cable TV operator
―Jupiter Telecommunications―
Japan
Japan’s largest cable television company, J:COM is the core company in the media and digital business field of the Sumitomo Corporation Group. Currently, the company is focusing on the cable television business while expanding its business in areas such as the Internet, telephones, mobile, and energy. Since, we started this business, we have also been placing importance on our community-based business model, focusing on CSR activities that contribute to the local community. Sumitomo Corporation Group aims to improve people’s living standards and develop local communities as well as economies through J:COM’s business. We introduce our efforts to achieve those goals.
Offering services to support daily life in a variety of fields
JCOM Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “J:COM”) is a Sumitomo Corporation group company and a facilitator of the group’s media, ICT, and lifestyle related goods and services. J:COM was established in 1995, and now, a quarter-century after its founding, J:COM has dramatically developed into Japan’s largest cable TV operator with the total number of subscribing households up to 5.67 million.
While J:COM offers quality entertainment through cable TV, production of movies and video works, operation of various thematic channels, and many other services, the company also develops lifestyle related services to support many aspects of daily life, including essential telecommunication infrastructure such as Internet, telephone, and mobile phone as well as electricity; home IoT services, and insurance services.
Providing both upstream and downstream services in the TV value chain
J:COM is a major player in the cable TV field. As of September 2023, J:COM TV provides services to 3.84 million households, giving it a 50% share of the number of households that subscribe to cable TV multichannel broadcasting services in Japan.
A total of 65 cable TV stations provide services in each region, primarily in the Sapporo, Sendai, Kanto, Kansai, and Kyushu areas. The service provides access to approximately 100 channels. Programs span the entire range of genres, including movies, television shows, sports, animation, music, and talk shows. In recent years, we have been building partnerships with Internet video services in response to the growing demand for viewing Internet video. J:COM offers a variety of services to meet various needs, including "J:COM TV Flex", which combines exclusive channels with Netflix and Disney Plus, "Shin Standard", which packages video streaming services such as Paramount+, and "J:COM LINK mini", a dongle-type smart streaming device that allows users to view multiple Internet video services simply by connecting it to their TV.
As a content creator and channel operator, J:COM delivers a wide range of programs to its subscribers. The company covers both upstream and downstream businesses in the value chain of the TV industry, offering content, media, and infrastructure services. This comprehensiveness is what makes J:COM uniquely strong.
In the field of media content, J:COM handles self-produced community channels that are rooted in the local region, and it also operates three exclusive channels: the CS entertainment channel "Channel Ginga: Historical dramas, Mystery dramas, and Music shows"; "Golf Network", which specializes on golf; and the sports channel "J SPORTS", a sports TV station that broadcasts a variety of sports such as baseball, rugby, cycle road races, and motor sports. In August 2023, J:COM expanded its strategic alliance with Warner Bros. Discovery in Japan, and will operate a total of seven specialty channels through the joint venture Discovery Japan Inc. These include "Movie Plus", "LaLa TV", "Discovery Channel", "Animal Planet", "Cartoon Network", "MONDO TV", and "TABI Channel". While operating these channels, J:COM plans to leverage the assets of both J:COM and Warner Bros. Discovery for innovative services. Along with channel operations, Asmik Ace, Inc., is expanding its rights business globally with a focus on video, from production and distribution of theatrical films and animation to overseas licensing sales. J:COM is expanding its business domains with the addition to its team of music event planner and manager ANY, and PROOX, a digital video production company for advertising and corporate PR. Delivering a wide range of high-quality services, J:COM is aiming to create a media content business that cannot be found anywhere else.
Offering convenient Internet services
High-speed and large-capacity Internet access is becoming essential to many people in line with the growing popularity of video streaming and online gaming. To accommodate this trend, J:COM has been working to make its Internet services more convenient, for example, by offering high-speed Internet services with 1Gbps downloads or faster as well as better home Wi-Fi environments.
“J:COM Mesh Wi-Fi” has been available since 2019 as an optional Internet service. It solves problems such as unstable and slow Wi-Fi connections by using AI, tri-band, and other advanced technologies to provide a high-speed and stable Wi-Fi environment for the home. Since 2022, the company has also been offering a modem with “Next-Generation AI Wi-Fi” as a standard feature, and customers can expand their Wi-Fi coverage by using an additional mesh Wi-Fi pod.
Taking on challenges: expanding to new service domains
J:COM’s new services include its insurance business, which began operations in November 2020. The first product, Net Anshin Insurance, provides a wide range of coverage for various Internet-related problems. The number of subscribers has been seeing favorable growth, due in part to the growing online needs related to daily life during COVID-19. In June 2021, we launched our second product, homeowner’s insurance. J:COM’s community-relevant coverage has been well received because it presuppses all kinds of lifestyle-related problems such as legal fees in the event of neighborhood problems. In addition to covering gamages to household belongings.
Also, J:COM Online Medical Care was launched in July 2021 in some areas of the Kanto region (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama), and is now available in the entire area of the Kanto region under J:COM coverage. Currently, most online medical care is provided through the use of smartphones. However, J:COM provides all services on the TV screen, from appointments at medical institutions to consultations (using a web camera), filling prescriptions (by delivery), and payment, with an interface controlled by the television’s remote control. And in January 2023, the provision of online medication counseling also began. In the future, we aim to provide a comprehensive health care service that will include health consultations and the management of vital data (such as pulse, blood pressure, and temperature), so that anyone can receive reliable medical care with ease.
Passing down the corporate DNA as a company that takes root in local communities
In general, cable TV operators launched their business as locally rooted media companies. J:COM is not an exception. It also started its business operations in four areas of Nerima, Suginami, Fuchu, and Koganei in Tokyo. The company has been passing down the DNA as a locally rooted company to date.
For example, about 2,600 J:COM salespersons visit each household to propose the services suitable for their lifestyles. For existing subscribers, over 700 staff members are dedicated to offering follow-up services and tailored support, such as solutions to daily problems.
J:COM values ties with local communities and enhances them through the creation of programs for local people on the community channel. In the event of a disaster, the company broadcasts a variety of detailed information about the disaster including damage reports, evacuation information, school closures, and different measures to support daily life as well as local government press conferences. J:COM attributes the greatest importance to building up face-to-face relations with local customers.
To be your essential service provider by providing services that resonate with our customers
TV, Internet, telephone, mobile, and electricity services: J:COM provides a full lineup of services for people’s daily lives as an integrated life infrastructure service provider with a focus on the TV field, aspiring to support customers in all aspects of their lives.
In addition, to ensure sustainable prosperity for customers and local communities well into the future, the company is also working toward the goals of reducing its CO2 emissions by half by FY2030 (compared to FY2020) and achieving carbon neutrality by FY2050.
Making the maximum use of its strength as a member of the Group led by an integrated trading company, J:COM will develop multifaceted businesses, thereby achieving steady growth as a company that supports customers’ daily lives. J:COM will continue to implement a wide range of initiatives to achieve these goals.
June 2020
Keyword
- Japan
- Information Telecommunications
- Retail Service Operations
