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<Information> NTT Com Offers IP Phone Numbers for Pet Owners

TOKYO, JAPAN - NTT Communications (NTT Com) announces today a new way for pets to be tagged with identification while allowing the owner to retain their privacy, thanks to the use of anonymous IP phone numbers from NTT Com. Using an IP phone number, the owner can avoid having to publicly display their regular phone number on the pet’s collar, or on posters or online if the pet goes missing, but still enable people to easily call them when the pet is found.

Calls made to the dedicated IP (050 prefix) phone number can be handled in two anonymous ways: it can be automatically forwarded to the customer’s private phone number without the caller seeing the forwarding number, or it can be automatically routed to a voicemail server, in which case the customer is promptly notified via e-mail. Phone numbers also can be blocked.

The basic monthly fee for an Internet-based IP phone number from NTT Com is just 525 yen (tax included), which is much lower than the monthly fee for a fixed-line phone number.

According to the Japan Pet Food Association, there are more than 26 million pets in Japan and the number is growing. As more and more pets become lost, centers in charge of public health and animal management are being forced to deal with a rising number of animals bearing no identification. While some owners affix contact information to their pets’ collars, other owners are uncomfortable about openly displaying this information in public.

The concept of using an IP phone number for one’s pet is being promoted under the name Wan Nyan Ber. The Japanese onomatopoeia for a dog’s bark is "wan" and a cat’s meow is "nyan" while it links "Nyan Ber" and "number" as an equivoque.

Users must subscribe to an IP phone number from NTT Com. As a part of the launch campaign, anyone who completes their Wan Nyan Ba registration by April 30 and registers for the campaign by May 31 can receive a tag bearing their dedicated IP phone number and the pet’s name. More than one hundred tag designs will be available.

The IP phone number, one of several IP phone services offered by NTT Com, is marketed under the trade name 050 Anshin (Safe) Number.

About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides a broad range of global networks, management solutions and IT services to customers worldwide. The company is renowned for reliable, high-quality security, hosting, voice, data and IP services, as well as expertise in managed networks and leadership in IPv6 transit technology. NTT Communications’ extensive infrastructure includes Arcstar™ Global IP-VPN and Global e-VLAN, as well as a Tier-1 IP backbone reaching more than 150 countries in partnership with major Internet service providers, and secure data centers in Asia, North America and Europe. NTT Communications is the wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, one of the world’s largest telecoms with listings on the Tokyo, London and New York stock exchanges. Please visit www.ntt.com/index-e.html.

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