What CEK does

CEK (株式会社エコーシティー・駒ヶ岳, Echo-City Komagatake Corporation) is a privately held, locally owned cable television and fiber telecommunications operator serving four municipalities in the Ina region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan: Komagane City, Iijima Town, Nakagawa Village, and Miyada Village. Founded on May 21, 1991 by the Komagane wired-broadcasting agricultural cooperative together with the Komagane municipal government, the former Iida Agricultural Cooperative (now JA Kamiina), and the Komagane Chamber of Commerce, CEK received its cable broadcasting license on December 2, 1991 (License No. B200004) and launched service in Komagane in April 1994. The service area expanded progressively (Iijima 1997, Miyada 2003, Nakagawa 2005), and full fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) coverage was completed in March 2018.

CEK operates its own proprietary FTTH network across the four municipalities, supporting internet speeds up to 10Gbps as of March 2024, and uses Panasonic set-top boxes (STBs), its own optical line termination equipment (V-ONU for television, D-ONU for internet), and dedicated voice announcement terminals. The product portfolio consists of three core services — CEK光テレビ (cable TV in Simple and STB Plans, ¥2,200-¥4,400/month), CEK光NET (fiber internet across five tiers from 光ライト ¥1,980/mo to 光10G ¥6,380/mo, on 24-month contracts), and CEK光でんわ (cable plus phone at ¥1,639/month basic) — plus CEK-Net Air wireless broadband over Regional BWA spectrum and the Minakoi Channel (みなこいチャンネル) community broadcasting platform, which carries daily local news (CEKほっとタイム), municipal programming, and live regional sports. Optional add-ons include Mesh Wi-Fi (powered by Plume), security software (Norton, Trend Micro), cloud storage (JANIS), and an AI-automated nuisance-call blocking service.

The business model is entirely subscription-based, anchored on multi-service bundles with triple-bundle discounts of up to ¥1,870/month. Revenue streams include direct subscription fees, NTT Docomo wholesale/coordination fees for docomo Hikari Type C (resold over CEK's fiber), and KDDI/JCOM coordination for Cable Plus Phone. Sales are driven by direct field-force home visits, an in-person office counter (weekdays 8:30-17:00 in Komagane), a web-based sign-up platform, and partnerships with Docomo shops; CEK holds no external institutional investment and is owned jointly by the four service-area municipalities, JA Kamiina, and three local Chambers of Commerce. Registered capital is ¥26,550,000 and total revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

CEK

Legal name

株式会社エコーシティー・駒ヶ岳

Website

https://cek.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEK (Echo-City Komagatake) is a privately held Japanese regional cable TV and fiber telecom operator serving four municipalities in Nagano Prefecture's Ina region. It delivers cable TV, FTTH internet up to 10Gbps, fixed telephony, community broadcasting, and Docomo Hikari wholesale via its own proprietary fiber network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cable Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG), Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE)

Keywords

• Cable television service
• Fiber internet service
• Fixed-line telephone
• Community broadcasting
• Telecommunications infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Komagane

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cable TV (光テレビ) Services: Monthly subscription fees for cable TV services ranging from basic 地上/BS (¥2,200/month) to バラエティー (¥4,400/month), plus STB-based plans. Recurring monthly billing via direct debit or credit card. Additional revenue from optional premium channels (WOWOW, sports channels, etc.), NHK satellite contract collection agency fees, and STB rental/purchase fees.
2. Internet (光NET) Services: Monthly subscription fees for internet across 5 speed tiers (光ライト ¥1,980 to 光10G ¥6,380/month). 24-month minimum contract with early termination fees. Additional revenue from optional services: Wi-Fi mesh routers, security software, email accounts, global IP addresses.
3. Telephone (光でんわ) Services: Basic monthly fee of ¥1,639/month for ケーブルプラス電話. Revenue from per-call charges (local ¥8.8/3min, long-distance ¥16.5/3min, mobile ¥17.05/min), international call fees, and optional add-on services (caller ID, call waiting, etc.). Free calls to 6.2M+ ケーブルプラス電話/J:COM PHONE users nationwide.
4. NTT Docomo Partnership (三菱光 タイプC): Revenue from network arrangement and service coordination for NTT Docomo's 光 fiber service using CEK's infrastructure. CEK receives fees for the CEK光セット割 bundle discount program. Customers billed directly by NTT Docomo.
5. Wireless Internet (CEK-Net Air): Monthly wireless internet service at ¥3,190/month using regional BWA spectrum with max 110Mbps downlink. Revenue from monthly service fees and installation charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CEK operates cable television, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet, and cable telephone services for residential subscribers across four municipalities in the Ina region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, using its own proprietary fiber optic network. The company also produces and broadcasts original community programming via its Minakoi Channel (みなこいチャンネル) and offers optional services including voice announcement broadcasting, mesh Wi-Fi, security software, and disaster-prevention applications.

Product overview

CEK (エコーシティー・駒ヶ岳, Echo-City Komagatake) operates a converged telecom services platform in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, combining three core services: CEK光NET (fiber internet in five speed tiers from 5Mbps to 10Gbps), CEK光テレビ (cable television with Simple Plan and STB Plan options plus local Minakoi Channel), and CEK光でんわ (cable telephone via KDDI/JCOM). The company also distributes docomo Hikari Type C via NTT Docomo partnership and offers CEK-Net Air fixed wireless internet. Optional add-ons include mesh Wi-Fi, 10G Wi-Fi, spam call blocking, data broadcasting, JC-Smart disaster prevention app, voice announcement broadcasting, and bundled security/software services from Norton, Trend Micro, and JANIS. The service area covers four municipalities in the Inan region: Komagane City, Iijima Town, Nakagawa Village, and Miyada Village.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• みなこいチャンネル: CEK's community broadcasting channel featuring local news, events, sports, and regional programming for the 伊南 region municipalities.
• CEK光NET
• CEK光テレビ
• CEK光でんわ
• CEK-Net Air

Products and services

• CEK Hikari NET (CEK光NET) Fiber-to-the-home internet service offering five speed tiers (5Mbps Light, 30Mbps, 200Mbps, 1Gbps, 10Gbps) with unlimited data, 24-month minimum contracts, and bundle eligibility with au Smart Value and UQ mobile home set discounts. Available to residential subscribers in Komagane City, Iijima Town, Miyada Village, and Nakagawa Village in Nagano Prefecture.
• CEK Hikari TV (CEK光テレビ) Cable television service delivered over CEK's optical fiber network, providing terrestrial, BS, and specialty channels. Available in Simple Plan (no set-top box required, from ¥2,200/month) and STB Plan (with Panasonic 4K set-top boxes, from ¥2,530/month) variants, including access to local community channels (Minakoi Channel, Event Channel, Administrative Channel) and 4K/8K satellite broadcasts.
• CEK Hikari Denwa (CEK光でんわ / Cable Plus Phone) Fixed-line telephone service using KDDI/JCOM Cable Plus Phone infrastructure with ¥1,639/month basic fee. Supports number portability from existing landlines, free calls among 6.2 million+ Cable Plus Phone users nationwide, automatic spam call blocking, and optional features (caller ID, call waiting). Eligible for au Smart Value and UQ mobile home set discounts.
• CEK-Net Air Fixed wireless broadband internet service using Regional BWA spectrum with maximum 110Mbps downlink / 10Mbps uplink, unlimited data, plug-and-play Wi-Fi device (eA280) requiring no installation. Available in limited areas of Komagane City at ¥3,190/month.
• docomo Hikari Type C (ドコモ光 タイプC) NTT Docomo's optical fiber internet service delivered via CEK's fiber infrastructure. Available in 1Gbps (¥5,720/month) and 10Gbps (¥6,380/month) tiers with 2-year contracts. Eligible for docomo mobile set discount and CEK Hikari Set Waribun discount (¥660-1,870/month). Customer signs up via docomo shop with CEK reception confirmation.
• Voice Announcement Broadcasting (音声告知放送) Wired broadcasting system delivering scheduled voice announcements (7:00, 12:00, 19:30 daily), J-Alert emergency earthquake warnings, government and school announcements, FM radio (FM Nagano, NHK FM, SBC, Broadcasting University), and optional AM radio. Operates via laser-based micro-power generation, functioning during power outages. Pricing ¥110-220/month plus optional AM radio add-on.
• Minakoi Channel (みなこいチャンネル) CEK's proprietary community broadcast channel on terrestrial D121, featuring daily news program 'CEK Hot Time' (aired 6 times on weekdays), local event coverage, high school baseball tournament live broadcasts (4 stadiums in D121/D122), municipal administrative programming, regional cultural content, and disaster information. Available to subscribers of CEK Hikari TV without requiring a set-top box.

Quantifiable outcome

• Voice announcement system operates during power outages via fiber network's laser-based micro-power generation capability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NTT East (東日本電信電話株式会社長野支店)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2012NTT East and CEK signed an information dissemination agreement for disaster situations. NTT East provides information on communication disruptions and recovery status during disasters. CEK disseminates this information to residents via voice announcement broadcasts and character broadcasts on its TV channels. This partnership ensures residents receive critical communication status updates during emergencies even when internet or phone lines are down.
• KDDI Corporation / JCOM株式会社 (Cable Plus Phone)coreTechnology or IntegrationCEK uses the ケーブルプラス電話 (Cable Plus Phone) service operated by JCOM and KDDI. This is CEK's primary fixed-line telephone offering. JCOM/KDDI provides the telephone network infrastructure, numbering services, and interconnectivity. CEK handles all local sales, customer service, billing, and installation. The service provides free calling among 6.2M+ ケーブルプラス電話 users nationwide.
• NTT Docomo (三菱光 タイプC)coreTechnology or IntegrationNTT Docomo provides 光 internet service (docomo Hikari Type C) using CEK's fiber optic network infrastructure. CEK issues reception confirmations and handles service coordination. NTT Docomo handles billing and retail sales through docomo shops. CEK receives arrangement fees and participates in the CEK光セット割 discount program. CEK is the only cable operator in the region enabling docomo Hikari Type C service.
• Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) - STB SupplycoreTechnology or IntegrationCEK sources CATV set-top boxes exclusively from Panasonic. Current models include TZ-BT9000BW (4K Blu-ray), TZ-HT3500BW (4K recording), and TZ-LS500B (4K entry). Panasonic provides ongoing firmware support and repair services for most models. Repair support end dates vary by model, with some scheduled through 2029.
• Regional Municipalities (4 Municipalities - Komagane, Iijima, Nakagawa, Miyada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 4 municipalities are shareholders in CEK and provide content for CEK's administrative broadcast channels. Each municipality has a dedicated administrative channel (コマがねTV, いいじま未来飛行, チャンネルなかがわ, 宮田村だより). Municipalities also provide disaster monitoring camera feeds. This public-private partnership is embedded in CEK's governance structure.
• JA Kamiina (上伊那農業協同組合)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJA Kamiina is a shareholder in CEK and its members receive a 5% discount on CEK光NET subscription fees. CEK broadcasts JA programming 'JA上伊那の動き' on its community channel. JA provides agricultural information services (アグリネット) that complement CEK's internet offerings.
• Iina Cable Television Council (上伊那ケーブルテレビ協議会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEK participates in the Iina region cable TV joint production council together with 伊那ケーブルテレビジョン and other regional operators. Joint productions include regional news program 'まるごと信州情報ネット', '上伊那ふるさとだより', and '全国高等学校野球選手権長野大会' regional broadcasts covering 4 stadiums.
• 伊那ケーブルテレビジョン (INA CATV)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner伊那ケーブルテレビジョン allows CEK光テレビ subscribers to watch the みなこいチャンネル on their STB (J507 channel), and CEK allows 伊那 cable subscribers to watch いなテレ12 on their system. Joint productions include '素でどうでしょう' and '地域を元気に！無茶さんぽ' programs.
• Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation (スカパーJSAT)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs of December 2025, CEK partnered with Sky Perfect JSAT to provide the multi-channel 'CEK光テレビ シンプルプラン' service, expanding CEK's channel offerings beyond its own cable infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JCOM: JCOM is Japan's largest cable television and telecommunications operator, providing converged TV, FTTH internet, and fixed-line phone services using HFC/FTTx infrastructure. CEK uses JCOM/KDDI's Cable Plus Phone backbone for its telephone service, making JCOM the closest analogue as a multigigabit fiber cable operator — and a direct customer-facing competitor in adjacent regions.
• INA CATV (伊那ケーブルテレビジョン): INA CATV is CEK's neighboring cable operator in the Ina region of Nagano Prefecture, directly referenced in CEK's data as a partner that jointly broadcasts community programming. It operates an overlapping converged TV + fiber + telecom platform in adjacent municipalities, making it the most operationally comparable peer.

Regional players

• TOKAI Cable Network: TOKAI Cable Network is a regional Japanese cable operator providing FTTH internet, cable TV, and telephone services in Shizuoka Prefecture. It shares CEK's rural/mid-tier cooperative business model — converged cable TV + fiber broadband over proprietary infrastructure — but in a separate geographic market.
• Bay Communications: Bay Communications provides cable TV, FTTH internet, and telephone services in Shizuoka Prefecture under the Baycom brand. Its product mix, cooperative-era governance roots, and service-area focus make it a close analogue to CEK's operating model in a different regional market.
• KATCH (キャッチネットワーク): KATCH is a regional cable TV and internet operator serving parts of Aichi Prefecture around Greater Nagoya. Its converged FTTH + cable TV + telephony bundle mirrors CEK's product set, and like CEK it operates as a community-rooted regional franchise rather than a national carrier.
• Himawari Network: Himawari Network is a regional cable/internet operator in the Chubu region of Japan providing FTTH internet, cable TV, and telephony. Like CEK, it serves a defined municipal catchment with a community broadcaster role that national carriers do not replicate.
• Star Cat Communications: Star Cat provides cable internet, TV, and telephone services in Aichi and Gifu prefectures. Its fiber-led converged offering and mid-tier regional positioning make it structurally similar to CEK's three-service bundle model.

Others

• Sky Perfect JSAT: Sky Perfect JSAT is a Japanese satellite broadcasting and multi-channel pay-TV operator. CEK partnered with Sky Perfect JSAT in December 2025 to launch CEK光テレビ シンプルプラン, making JSAT a content-and-distribution enabling partner rather than a direct retail competitor.

Broad incumbents

• NTT Docomo (docomo Hikari): NTT Docomo's docomo Hikari service uses CEK's fiber under the Type C arrangement, but as a national carrier it also represents the principal competitive displacement risk for CEK's premium broadband subscribers. The dual role as customer-facing partner and competitive incumbent makes Docomo both ally and threat.
• KDDI Corporation (au Hikari): KDDI is a national telecommunications carrier whose au Hikari service competes with CEK's fiber product across Japan and whose Cable Plus Phone infrastructure CEK itself uses. KDDI is both a wholesale partner and a broad competitive incumbent in fixed-line broadband and mobile-bundle services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cek_official
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRbCaM993EzWmhv-cNHtqAg
• Instagraminstagram.com/cek_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEK