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Want 12Mbits/sec for $21? Move to Japan.

gbjbaanb writes "Softbank, in Japan, has built a gigabit ethernet network to replace DSL over ATM, which costs peanuts to maintain and run. For $21 a month, Japanese users get 12Mb/sec, free VoIP (without quality loss) calls to users on the same network, (3c/min to New York), and DVD-quality movies. The company needs users to stay with the service for 15 months to break even, given that it is giving modems away for free."

34 of 594 comments (clear)

  1. I'd move to Japan by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 5, Funny

    But between being wisked away while standing on Tokyo Tower to another dimension, having to get Giant Monster insurance, dealing with being either attacked or defended by pretty magical schoolgirls, and of course the nearly daily alien invasions and city-wide explosions with dueling robots - I'm just not so sure it's worth it.

    Then again, 12 Mbits is pretty good. Hm....

    1. Re:I'd move to Japan by Valiss · · Score: 4, Funny

      But it's only $21/month. With the money you save on the 'net costs, you could afford all the other insurance.

      --

      -Valiss
    2. Re:I'd move to Japan by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

      > With the money you save on the 'net costs, you could afford all the other insurance.

      Dude, you are SO out of touch. Obviously you haven't gotten a price quote on Giant Monster Insurance lately. It's monstrous! Frickin' Gojira...

      "All right, I'm gonna tell ya a story, and I don't wanna hear 'Act of God'..."
      - Jack Burton

    3. Re:I'd move to Japan by jafac · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but once they put a Cap on Awards in frivolous Giant Monster damage lawsuits, this problem will go away.

      --

      These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
    4. Re:I'd move to Japan by Harinezumi · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's just in Tokyo, it attracts giant monsters and aliens like midwestern trailer parks do tornados. Move somewhere quiet like Sendai, and all you'll have to insure yourself against will be the occasional earthquake ^^

  2. Want pr0n at 12Mbits/sec? Move to Japan. by da3dAlus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then you can really be turning Japanese...

    --

    Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.
  3. Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dirt-cheap, blazing-fast net access AND used schoolgirl panties sold in vending machines??? That's it, I'm moving!!!

    /me calls realtor.

  4. Prediction... by Fux+the+Pengiun · · Score: 2, Funny

    Once users start logging onto this service, the downloading of tentacle pr0n will reach epic proportions.

    --
    Consensual sex is boring.
  5. You know you're a nerd when by Webtommy88 · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know you're a nerd when big bandwidth makes you this happy :)

  6. AHHH by Pinguu · · Score: 2, Funny

    Want 12Mbits/sec for $21? Move to Japan.
    /me moves to Japan ;)

    --
    --
  7. Computer Me is... by computerme · · Score: 2, Funny

    Turning Japanese, Turning japanese... he really thinks so!

  8. I get 12 MB/sec by skidrowe · · Score: 5, Funny

    All you have to do is uncap your cable modem. Don't worry about the cable company, they won't ca- [Connection Lost]

  9. You don't have to move to japan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    You fools!

    Just get a friend who lives in Japan to sign up and send you the modem in the mail.

  10. Re:Serious Question by Gherald · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ahhh! the benefits of overcrowding.

  11. how much are tickets to tokyo? by kraksmoka · · Score: 5, Funny
    no, seriously, i love sushi, and cute asian girls too. this could be the break i've been looking for!

    ok, maybe not :P

    --
    "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel
  12. Decisions, decisions by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's see here:

    (1) Cute Asian chicks
    (2) Tons of Anime
    (3) Sushi and lots of it
    (4) Massive broadband throughput
    (5) No DMCA (yet)
    (6) Sony
    (7) BeOS fanatics

    Hell..where do I sign up?

    --
    So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
    1. Re:Decisions, decisions by BigBadBri · · Score: 2, Funny
      Yeah, but

      (13) Whalemeat sushi
      (14) Fugu - like Russian Roulette, but tastier.

      And what sort of price do you expect for steak when each bull has his own masseur?

      Add cherry blossom, Mt Fuji, and the bullet train, and I think it's a winner, myself.

      --
      oh brave new world, that has such people in it!
    2. Re:Decisions, decisions by csguy314 · · Score: 2, Funny

      What!? You mean use Ruby instead of Python? No thank you.

      --
      This is left as an exercise for the reader.
  13. will the last person to leave the country by way2trivial · · Score: 5, Funny

    please remember to turn off the lights?

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  14. Dear slashdot by arcanumas · · Score: 5, Funny
    Dear slashdot. I am writing you to inform you that this will be my last post from my country (Greece) as i am now moving to Japan. Don't worry though as i will be acquiring one of those new hyper fast connection that i saw on your site a moment ago.
    I will miss you while i try to settle to my new homeland and try to learn Japanese (Alas, whatching Bruce Lee movies has not been very helpful). I have to stop writing as my parents are coming to tell them goodbye (I haven't told them yet as it was decided 5 minutes ago.)
    Naturally as an adicted Slashdot reader i will find a place to live by submiting an "Ask Slashdot " Story and browsing at score 5.

    Your faithful reader.

    --
    Slashdot Sig. version 0.1alpha. Use at your own risk.
  15. Turning Japanese (-2, Troll, Off-topic) by usotsuki · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ithinkimturningjapaneseithinkimturningjapaneseirea llythinkso...
    Turningjapaneseithinkimturningjapan eseireallythink so... :}

    -uso.

    --
    Dreams, dreams, don't doubt dreams, dreaming children's dreaming dreams. Sailor Moon SS
  16. Re:Serious Question by Eric_Cartman_South_P · · Score: 5, Funny
    you'rerightovercrowdingcanbegood. justlookatallthespaceiamsavingwiththispost!

  17. Ha! by InsaneCreator · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's nothing! I get 56kbps for $80 per month!

    (I think I'm gonna go sit in the corner and weep, now)

  18. Re:This is easier in Japan. by zulux · · Score: 5, Funny

    Firstly, Japan is very densely populated,

    Certain portions of America are populated by dense people.

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  19. All your Pr0n by l33t-gu3lph1t3 · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...are belong to us!

    --
    ------- "From bored to fanboy in 3.8 asian girls" ----------
  20. Re:Serious Question by lpret · · Score: 2, Funny
    get rid of the vowels -- people can usually guess what it means. like this:

    yr n ss fr tryng t rd ths

    vs

    your an ass for trying to read this

    --
    This is my digital signature. 10011011001
  21. Move to Japan (lyrical adaptation) by djeaux · · Score: 4, Funny
    Well, I'm starin' at my VAIO, a-drinkin' Kirin beer.
    My IRC was lagging when it all came clear.
    I hopped into my Honda, it's a little bitty car.
    And I'm drivin' down to meet you at the Sushi Bar.
    But don't tell me I'm crazy until you hear my plan.
    I'm gonna buy two tickets and move to Japan.

    I'm gonna move to Japan,
    I'm gonna move to Japan.

    So if you've got no job and the cable's too slow,
    And it's too far to the switch at the ol' telco,
    Just pack your bags and don't forget your Kimona,
    And you'll be wallowing in bandwidth all the way to Yokohama.

    We're gonna move to Japan,
    We're gonna move to Japan.

    Tokyo's got the neon.
    Put a pot of green tea on.
    Akira Kurosawa,
    Sapporo Okinawa.
    Girls with almond eyes,
    Downloadin' everything twice.
    It's the land of tradition,
    But I'm a man on a mission.

    When we get to Japan we're gonna do our part,
    To use up that bandwidth with all of our heart.

    From the unemployment line I see lots to be done
    And they're handin' out gigabit in the land of the risin' sun.
    And I love my mom and my apple pie,
    But sayonara Uncle Sam, hello Samurai.

    We're gonna move to Japan,
    We're gonna move to Japan,
    We're gonna move to Japan,
    Hey, we're gonna move to Japan,
    The home of the wired man.

    It's rolling.

    (Liberally adapted from The Band's "Move to Japan" -- 1993)

    --
    "Obviously, I'm not an IBM computer any more than I'm an ashtray" (Bob Dylan)
  22. The only reason not to sign up for 15 months.. by Brad+Mace · · Score: 2, Funny

    is that at that speed, you might have downloaded everything on the internet already

  23. Re:12? Pshaw! by jafac · · Score: 4, Funny

    Damn, with that kind of bandwidth, you could digitize yourself, transmit yourself to Ireland, rape and pillage, and transmit yourself back at a profit.

    Viking never looked so attractive!

    --

    These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
  24. Re:Obvious Response by ogre2112 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nah, he obviously just saved money on car insurance by switching to Geico.

  25. Want 12 Mbit by SharpFang · · Score: 2, Funny

    Want 12Mbits for $21/sec? Move to Poland. (...) .For 12Mbit a month...

    (it's not SO bad. But it's bad.)

    --
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  26. Re:Ancent people omitted vowels, too. by blowhole · · Score: 4, Funny

    I thought they used hieroglyphics.

    CAT SPEAR TRIANGLE MOON!
    In Mesopotamia, MOON TRIANGLE CAT SPEAR!

    --
    "Ask me about Loom"
  27. Re:Serious Question by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 2, Funny

    Compare the size of Japan and the USA.

    Now compare the size of Japan with the USA minux the midwest.

    --
    "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
  28. Re:Serious Question by Art+Tatum · · Score: 3, Funny
    If my first language was English I might feel a little ashamed and then label you grammar nazi. Instead I have decided to label you:
    US-centric

    Or even England-centric. They still speak English there, right? Heck, from the names, you'd think that England and English were related, wouldn't you?