NTT Plala
NTT Plala was a Japanese residential ISP and IPTV operator offering broadband connectivity (Plala) and video streaming (Hikari TV), serving individual consumers in Japan. It was absorbed into NTT DoCoMo via merger on July 1, 2022, and its parent NTT Resonant followed on July 1, 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersToshima, Japan
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NTT Plala does
NTT Plala was a Japanese consumer internet service provider established in the mid-1990s (sources cite 1991 and 1995), operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT Resonant within the broader NTT Group. Its core business was residential broadband connectivity under the ぷらら (Plala) brand and the ひかりTV (Hikari TV) IPTV and video-on-demand platform, supplemented by shopping integrations (dショッピングダイレクト), specialty channel programming (FANY channel, Osaka channel), curated monthly TV subscriptions (月々テレビ), and later-inherited web portal and ISP brands (goo, OCN, OCN Mobile) from its parent NTT Resonant.
Technically, the platform combined a residential fiber/ISP layer with an IPTV middleware delivering live TV, specialty channels, and on-demand content; post-merger these services are accessed through NTT DoCoMo's web and retail infrastructure rather than operated as a standalone stack.
The business model relied on subscription-based consumer ISP and IPTV fees, distributed historically through Plala's own online channels and, following the July 1, 2022 statutory merger into NTT DoCoMo, through Docomo's Online Shop, Docomo retail shops, and the dポイント loyalty ecosystem. On July 1, 2023, NTT Resonant (Plala's parent) was also merged into DoCoMo, consolidating all former NTT consumer internet subsidiaries under a single publicly-traded operator (TSE: 9437). As a result, NTT Plala no longer exists as an independent legal entity; its services, brands, and customer relationships continue as a service line within NTT DoCoMo.
NTT Plala firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NTT Plala
- Legal name
- NTT Plala (pre-merger entity — specific registered legal name not disclosed in source)
- Website
- https://nttplala.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- NTT Plala was a Japanese residential ISP and IPTV operator offering broadband connectivity (Plala) and video streaming (Hikari TV), serving individual consumers in Japan. It was absorbed into NTT DoCoMo via merger on July 1, 2022, and its parent NTT Resonant followed on July 1, 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NTT Plala industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Internet & IPTV Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
Keywords
Where NTT Plala is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toshima
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
NTT Plala business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Distribution channels2 records
NTT Plala product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NTT Plala was a Japanese residential internet service provider offering fiber-optic broadband connections under the Plala brand and IPTV/video-on-demand services through Hikari TV. The company delivered home internet connectivity, pay-TV, and streaming content to Japanese households as part of the NTT Group ecosystem, integrating its offerings with NTT Docomo's d Point loyalty program and Docomo Online Shop distribution channels.
Product overview
NTT Plala operates as a subsidiary of NTT Docomo following the July 2022 merger. The company provides video streaming and internet services, including the ひかりＴＶ platform for video-on-demand and live TV programming, ぷらら internet connectivity services, and shopping integrations. NTT Plala's services are now integrated into docomo's broader ecosystem alongside their own entertainment, financial, and lifestyle services. Additionally, NTT Resonant services (goo, OCN, OCNモバイル) merged into docomo in July 2023 and remain available.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ぷらら (Plala): Internet connection service brand operated by NTT Plala prior to the 2022 merger with NTT DoCoMo.
- ひかりＴＣ (Hikari TV)
Products and services
- Hikari TV (ひかりTV)
Companies that use NTT Plala
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
NTT Plala technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NTT Plala partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NTT DocomocoreOn July 1, 2022, NTT Docomo and NTT Plala completed a statutory merger. NTT Plala merged into NTT Docomo, and NTT Plala's services (including ひかりTV, internet connection services, and shopping services) became part of Docomo's service portfolio. NTT Plala ceased to exist as an independent entity, operating as a division or service line under NTT Docomo.
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
NTT Plala competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BIGLOBE: Long-standing Japanese ISP providing fiber broadband and mobile services to consumer and SMB customers, comparable in scale and product mix to Plala.
- U-NEXT: Japanese subscription video-on-demand service offering streaming content alongside optional bundled internet services, directly competitive with Hikari TV.
- Hulu Japan: Subscription streaming service in Japan directly competing with Hikari TV for IPTV/video-on-demand viewing share among Japanese households.
- So-net (Sony Network Communications): Japanese ISP subsidiary of Sony offering fiber broadband (So-net 光) and related services to residential customers, directly competitive with Plala's ISP service.
- ASAHI Net: Japanese ISP offering fiber broadband (ASAHI Net 光) and mobile services to residential subscribers, with a comparable consumer ISP business model to Plala.
- @nifty: Japanese ISP (@nifty光) and web portal offering fiber broadband and consumer-facing digital services, similar in customer base and product offering to Plala.
- JCOM (Jupiter Telecommunications): Japan's largest cable TV operator providing bundled cable TV, broadband, and telephony to residential subscribers. Most directly comparable to NTT Plala as a residential ISP/pay-TV operator in Japan.
Broad incumbents
- KDDI (au Hikari): Major Japanese mobile carrier offering 'au Hikari' fiber broadband and bundled IPTV/content services. Overlaps directly with Plala's internet and video offerings as part of a much larger telecom group.
- NTT Docomo: Parent company of the merged Plala entity; Japan's largest mobile operator now offering the bundled fiber/IPTV services that Plala previously operated standalone.
- SoftBank (SoftBank Hikari): SoftBank Corp operates a fiber broadband service (SoftBank Hikari) and content offerings in Japan, competing with Plala/Docomo in residential connectivity bundles.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
NTT Plala financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NTT Plala leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NTT Plala subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
NTT Plala funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NTT Plala M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NTT Plala
What does NTT Plala do?
NTT Plala was a Japanese residential internet service provider offering fiber-optic broadband connections under the Plala brand and IPTV/video-on-demand services through Hikari TV. The company delivered home internet connectivity, pay-TV, and streaming content to Japanese households as part of the NTT Group ecosystem, integrating its offerings with NTT Docomo's d Point loyalty program and Docomo Online Shop distribution channels.
Is NTT Plala a public or private company?
NTT Plala is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was NTT Plala founded?
NTT Plala was founded in 1991. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is NTT Plala based?
NTT Plala is headquartered in Toshima, Japan, in the Asia region.
Who are NTT Plala's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BIGLOBE, U-NEXT, Hulu Japan, So-net (Sony Network Communications), ASAHI Net, @nifty and JCOM (Jupiter Telecommunications). Broad incumbents are KDDI (au Hikari), NTT Docomo and SoftBank (SoftBank Hikari).
Does NTT Plala have an API?
No public API is recorded for NTT Plala.
What industry is NTT Plala in?
NTT Plala's product category is Residential Internet & IPTV Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers. Its NAICS code is 51711 and its SIC code is 4841.