Prime Minister Mori, holding a length of fiber-optic cable, listening intently to an explanation of the benefits it will deliver to consumers Prime Minister Mori listening to an explanation at a personal-computer store Sunday, October 15, 2000

Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori visited two information technology-related businesses, a company in Chiyoda-ku specializing in IT-related projects and a personal-computer store in Toshima-ku. At the former he listened to an explanation of plans for a high-capacity Internet service to be provided via fiber-optic cable to subscribing homes and offices. The group working on the project aims to launch the service next spring. The new service will offer Internet access at 10Mbps, some 180 times faster than the 56Kbps now available through analogue lines. His visit to the personal computer store gave the Prime Minister a firsthand look at the operations of a private-sector computer retailer. He tried out state-of-the-art applications and received an explanation of the way IT is expected to change home life.
His tour confirmed the Prime Minister in his determination to press ahead swiftly with the IT revolution in Japan. He remarked, "The private sector is ahead of the public sector. There's a keenness to keep developing better products. The private sector has both the will and the ability. The government had better hurry up."