Japan Press Weekly

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2011 May 25 - 31 [POLITICS]

JCP Shiokawa calls for more public payphones

Japanese Communist Party representative Shiokawa Tetsuya on May 24 at a House of Representatives General Affairs Committee meeting urged the government to install more public payphones in preparation for disasters.

Shiokawa pointed out that many people after the quake “were able to get through to their family members and friends from public phones when they were not able to get through on their cellphones in the Kanto and Tohoku regions.”

Shiokawa cited a government panel report on telecommunications in 2008 stating that public phones still have importance because their connection lines will have priority over mobile phones in case a disaster occurs.

Nevertheless, public payphones are disappearing from many outside locations and from public facilities as well. He requested that the government increase the number of public phones and have them in place at all public facilities designated as evacuation centers.

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Katayama Yoshihiro in response said, “That’s a good point. It will be quite useful if there is a payphone at each shelter. But, the fact remains that public phones are unprofitable.”

Shiokawa replied, “You should not view the availability of public phones just on a basis of profitability but should ask telecommunications companies to ensure the availability of essential communication lines.”