安倍指示日本移动通信运营商降费

Shares in Japanese wireless carriers fell sharply on Monday following an unusual directive by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urging a reduction in what are some of the world’s highest mobile phone bills.

周一，日本无线运营商股价大幅下挫。之前，日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)作出了一条不同寻常的指示，敦促这些运营商降低话费。日本是全球手机话费最高的国家之一。

The government does not have a direct say in mobile phone rates but Mr Abe’s remarks come as smartphone fees account for a rising portion of Japan’s household spending, which has remained sluggish despite stimulus efforts to lift the economy.

日本政府在手机话费问题上并无直接发言权，但安倍是在智能手机话费在日本家庭支出中占比越来越高的情况下作出上述指示的。尽管日本政府采取刺激措施努力提振经济，但日本家庭支出依然低迷。

NTT Docomo, Japan’s largest mobile phone carrier by subscribers, was hit hardest with a drop of 9 per cent in morning trading, while KDDI fell 6.6 per cent and SoftBank slid 4.9 per cent.

早盘时，日本用户最多的移动通信运营商NTT Docomo受冲击最大，股价下跌9%，KDDI下跌6.6%，软银(SoftBank)下跌4.9%。

Analysts said it was highly unusual for the prime minister himself to intervene in the pricing of mobile phone rates, which are set independently by the carriers.

分析师表示，日本首相亲自干预手机话费定价是极不寻常的。日本的手机通话费率是由各运营商独立设定的。

Monday’s share price declines came after Akira Amari, economy minister, disclosed on Friday that Mr Abe had instructed the telecommunications minister to study lowering mobile phone fees.

上周五，日本负责经济财政政策的内阁府特命担当大臣甘利明(Akira Amari)透露，安倍已指示负责电信的大臣研究降低手机通话费率。

“Some people say the three-player structure [in Japan’s mobile phone industry] has become so solid that the competition strategy is not working,” Mr Amari said in explaining why Mr Abe wanted lower rates.

“有人说，（日本移动通信行业的）三驾马车结构已变得如此稳固，以致于竞争战略根本行不通，”甘利明在解释安倍的想法时表示。

Government figures show that telecom costs including mobile phone fees accounted for 4.9 per cent of annual household spending in 2014, up from 4.1 per cent a decade ago.

日本政府数据显示，2014年，包括手机话费在内的通信费用占到日本家庭年支出的4.9%，高于10年前的4.1%。

Monthly bills for smartphones users in Tokyo — averaging a total of around Y7,500 ($62) — are among the highest in the world, compared to Y7,000 in London and Y5,400 in Seoul, according to a recent government white paper. Tokyo prices are lower, though, than monthly bills in New York and Dusseldorf at Y8,700 and Y9,000, respectively.

不久前发布的一份政府白皮书显示，东京智能手机用户每月话费平均约为7500日元（合62美元），位居世界前列；相比之下，伦敦为7000日元，首尔为5400日元。不过，东京的手机话费低于纽约和杜塞尔多夫，后两者分别为8700日元和9000日元。