World's Fastest Internet Arrives in Tokyo

News
By Tarun Iyer
published

For just $50/month, So-net is offering a 2 Gbps fiber-based Internet connection to Tokyo-area residents.

So-net, a Sony-owned ISP, has launched its “Nuro” service for Tokyo-area residents. It utilizes Japan’s GPON (Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network) and provides speeds of 2 Gbps, which are the world’s fastest, at least doubling the speed of any comparable U.S. fiber-optic consumer connections.

The service costs just $50/month, which is remarkably low in comparison to either Google Fiber or Verizon FiOS that provide 1 Gbps and 150 Mbps for $79 and $129, respectively. This low price comes with two major caveats: a $540 installation fee, and a mandatory two-year contract that is presumably being used to fund further expansions to the company’s fiber-optic network.

Tarun Iyer
63 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ikyung
    When I read this in America, I'm like UGH! I wish we had that. When people in Tokyo read this, they are like WTF? 50/month for internet? Too much!
    Reply
  • getochkn
    Any caps on it? I could care less about the speed, companies are getting silly with speeds that no one can use, especially when they cap it. 150mb/s? Who cares when they cap you at 250GB a month. You can burn through the 250GB in a day or so at 150mb/s. I'm in Canada and pay through the ass for a business connection that is truely unlimited. No slowdowns, no throttling, can do 2TB a month if I want, but it costs big time.
    Reply
  • Memnarchon
    10721861 said:
    Any caps on it? I could care less about the speed, companies are getting silly with speeds that no one can use, especially when they cap it. 150mb/s? Who cares when they cap you at 250GB a month. You can burn through the 250GB in a day or so at 150mb/s. I'm in Canada and pay through the ass for a business connection that is truely unlimited. No slowdowns, no throttling, can do 2TB a month if I want, but it costs big time.
    Never heard (or seen) of a cap in the downloadable data with wired connections.
    edit: I didn't know that some US ISPs have (soft)caps...
    Wireless is an other story...

    It seems that Japan and especially Tokyo is moving forward really fast.
    First they announced that with their new 650m broadcast tower they will be able to broadcast 4K video (3840x2160) by the end of 2014 and 8K (7680x4320) in 2016.
    And now this...
    Reply
  • NeeKo
    And in South America we pay 100 usd a month for 4mbps connection, im trying hard not to cry.
    Reply
  • borisof007
    10721900 said:
    10721861 said:
    Any caps on it? I could care less about the speed, companies are getting silly with speeds that no one can use, especially when they cap it. 150mb/s? Who cares when they cap you at 250GB a month. You can burn through the 250GB in a day or so at 150mb/s. I'm in Canada and pay through the ass for a business connection that is truely unlimited. No slowdowns, no throttling, can do 2TB a month if I want, but it costs big time.
    Never heard (or seen) of a cap in the downloadable data with wired connections.
    Wireless is an other story...

    Comcast caps your internet usage. 250 gb.
    Reply
  • Estix
    This is what happens when the population is more dense; you don't have to lay nearly as much physical infrastructure, and it's far cheaper. In Tokyo, they can lay a mile of fiber and reach a thousand customers; in the US, you'd have to lay at least a mile per customer in many areas.
    Reply
  • killerclick
    So, this is what, 250 megabytes per second? Maybe OnLive or whatever it's called now should move to Tokyo
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    I think I'm Turning Japanese I really think so.
    Reply
  • Neog2
    Memnarchon

    Pretty much all of the Big Cable Internet providers have Caps now. Most people don't know about them because they never get close to the limits so they never receive a later.
    I have Charter and they initiated softcaps i think two years ago. Basically they changed the EULA but really didnt tell anybody but the people that where going over or within 10-15% of reaching the new caps.

    I ended up having to switch to Charter Business because although I don't download alot. I do Video Editing of Raw 1080p video and the files or huge. I do most of my editing in house but post processing effects I have someone else do. So I put them on my server and they will later download from my server the huge files. Alot of time in access of 25GB for one file. Before I switched to Charter Business I didnt have a server and we would use this program to transfer this huge files. I was hitting 500GB Upload in about 2 weeks.

    They told me I had to switch or leave them only option. I only download about 30GB but my uploads Exceed 1TB each month.

    Check your Cable Internet Providers EULA they most likely have a Cap
    Here is a nice link that list most of the companies that have sometime of Cap

    http://gigaom.com/2012/10/01/data-caps-chart/ (The Big Companies are WIRED)
    Reply
  • g00fysmiley
    good for them, the rest of the world needs to catch up, here in tallahassee fl we are ahead of the curve with basic cable modems through comcast getting 30+ Mbs but compared to alot of places even tha tis pretty low. I doubt if even streaming videos i hit anywhere near 100 gigs a month bt have never seen anythign in my contracts about a limit... but i have never looked that hard at it
    Reply