About Telephone Relay Service Fund System

The "Telephone Relay Service" is a service that has sign language interpreters interpret sign languages and words expressed by users with hearing or speech disorders, act as operators and mediate communication between users with hearing or speech disorders and users who can hear through telephone calls.

The "Telephone Relay Service Fund System" is a system that requires all telecommunications carriers to appropriately share provided grants to the Telephone Relay Service Provider (currently THE NIPPON FOUNDATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICE is designated) for ensuring the provision of the Telephone Relay Service.

Telephones are the primary method used to communicate immediately from great distances in our daily lives as well as in our social lives. However, since telephones are mainly used to communicate audio, it is difficult for the hearing-impaired to make use of them without the assistance of helpers. Since it is also difficult for them to perform tasks such as daily communication, administrative procedures, communication required for work, as well as calling for help during emergencies, there are various issues they face as they lead their daily and social lives.
Based on these facts, to facilitate telephone use for the hearing-impaired and ensure proper and reliable provision of the Telephone Relay Service as a public infrastructure, the "Act of Facilitating the Use of Telephones by the Hearing Impaired, etc." (Act No. 53 of 2020) was established and enforced on December 1, 2020, and the "Telephone Relay Service Fund System" has been implemented, requiring all telecommunications carriers to equally bear the expenses necessary.

Since July 2021, the amount of expenses necessary to ensure the provision of the Telephone Relay Service has been calculated based on the number of phone numbers used by our customers and paid from us to the Telephone Relay Service Provider [2] via the Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency [1]. The amount to be charged per phone number (hereafter referred to as "unit price per phone number [3]") is determined by the Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency by taking the amount required for the Telephone Relay Service Provider to cover grants [4] into consideration.

• [1]

  The Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency is a designated institution that has secured impartiality and transparency and handles collection and provision of grants. At the moment, the Telecommunications Carriers Association has been designated this role by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.

• [2]

  The Telephone Relay Service Provider is a designated institution that handles the provision of the Telephone Relay Service as a public service and "THE NIPPON FOUNDATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICE" is designated this role by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.

• [3]

  The unit price per phone number is posted on the Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency's website. Please visit their website from the related links.
  Unit price per phone number (in Japanese only)

• [4]

  Grants are calculated from expenses for operators including sign language interpreters that interpret sign languages and words for exchanges with users that have hearing or speech disorders, communication fees between operators and recipient, expenses to ensure stable provision of the service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as well as publicity expenses to disseminate the Telephone Relay Service.

KDDI bears the necessary expenses depending on the number of phone numbers used by our customers. However, as it is ultimately included in your service charges, the expenses are actually covered by part of your monthly charge.

In accordance with the launch of the "Telephone Relay Service Fund System", KDDI and OKINAWA CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY have begun imposing a "Telephone Relay Service Fee" on customers who signed contracts with us directly for services such as au mobile phone and au HIKARI phone service for their portion of usage.

KDDI imposes each customer with a "Telephone Relay Service Fee" [5], as determined by the Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency. The full amount collected is forwarded to the Telephone Relay Service Administrative Agency. Together with its customers, KDDI will continue watching the Telephone Relay Service Provider closely to make sure they streamline their operations.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this Telephone Relay Service Fund System.

• Billing item: Telephone Relay Service Fee

• Billing amount: [5]

  April 2023 to January 2024	February 2024 to March 2024	April 2024 to March 2025
  1.1 yen (tax included)/month per phone number.	0 yen (tax included)/month per phone number.	1.1 yen (tax included)/month per phone number.

• Phone numbers subject to the Telephone Relay Service Fee: The Telephone Relay Service Fee is applied to any of the following services (including dial-in numbers) which are subscribed to at the end of each month. [6]

  	Personal	Business
  Mobile	au smartphone, au mobile phone UQ mobile povo Tablet Data communication terminal [7]	au smartphone, au mobile phone UQ mobile Tablet Data communication terminal [7] Communication-modules [8]
  Fixed	au HIKARI phone service au HIKARI Chura phone service Home-plus phone Cable-plus phone Cable-plus Hikari phone Cable-plus Home phone Mansion-plus phone Phone number "050" service	KDDI Hikari Direct [9] KDDI-IP phone FREE CALL (including Free Phone) au Office Number Office Mobile Phone Pack (fixed-line phone number option) au Hikari Access (B) phone service Cisco Webex with KDDI Cloud Calling for Microsoft Teams Cloud Calling for Genesys Cloud CX Cloud Calling for Zoom Phone

  • [5]

    The billing amount for use charges after April 2025 is scheduled to be disclosed around March 2025.

  • [6]

    For povo 2.0, the Telephone Relay Service Fee you will be billed only in the month when the topping you purchased is valid or when you use a pay-as-you-go call, SMS, etc.
    However, we will not charge until we inform you on the povo website that we will start billing.

  • [7]

    Data communication terminal including "Qua station" and so on.

  • [8]

    Except for Communication-modules with "020" phone number.

  • [9]

    The KDDI Hikari Direct, "KDDI Hikari Direct over Powered Ethernet" and "KDDI Hikari Direct over Wide Area Virtual Switch" are also included.

• For multiple phone numbers, the Telephone Relay Service Fee billed is calculated in accordance with the number of phone numbers used in principle (Please note that if you use a phone number beginning with an area code such as "03" as well as a phone number beginning with "050," both phone numbers will be subject to the Telephone Relay Service Fee.).

• Customers using either the au HIKARI phone service (excluding au one net) or Cable-plus phone service will be charged by the partner provider or by the cable television company through which the service was applied for.