History

Footsteps of Asahi Net

Footsteps of Asahi Net Startup Independent Going Beyond
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Startup

Asahi Net started business with Asahi PC Net, which is a pre-internet personal-computer communication service.

Employing know how and experience in network operation, Asahi Net then started internet connection service. Being a pioneer in releasing innovative services, number of members began to increase.

  Footsteps of Asahi Net Development of Service
Apr. 1990 Established ATSON, Inc. (current Asahi Net, Inc.) Operated business mainly on personal-computer communication service.  
Oct. 1991   Opened an electric forum Den-no Tsutsuisen in line with Tsutsui Yasutaka's novel Asa no Gasuparu (Gaspard in the Morning.) The forum was published in three books.
Feb. 1993   Founded a literary award Pascal Tanpenbungaku Shinjinsho (Pascal short-story beginner author award). Authors submitted their works using personal-computer communication and selection process was made open online. The first year judges were Tsutsui Yasutaka, Inoue Hisashi, Kobayashi Kyoji. The award was given to Kawakami Hiromi.
July 1993   Changed service name from Asahi Pasokon Net to Asahi Net.
Mar. 1994 Began interconnection with People, a personal-computer communication service operated by PEOPLE WORLD Co., Ltd., established by IBM Japan, etc.  
June 1994   Started internet connection service.
Feb. 1995   Started MMJP, a webhosting service for businesses and organizations.
June 1995   Started homepage service for individual users.
Dec. 1997   Signed up with UUNET, a major ISP in the U.S., and opened 500 access points in the States.

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Independent

In 2000, Asahi Net became an independent telecommunication operator, and the following year changed the name of the company to Asahi Net, Inc. From 2001 and onwards, the company has been expanding its service lineup with fiber-optic connection and mobile connection.

Asahi Net repeatedly achieved the first place in customer satisfaction surveys for internet service provider ran by external research institutions. The company started receiving high evaluation from customers.

  Footsteps of Asahi Net Development of Service
Mar. 2000 Became an independent telecommunication operator with all shares held by board members and employees of the company.  
Dec. 2000   Started ADSL connection services.
Jan. 2001 Changed company name to Asahi Net, Inc.  
Aug. 2001   Started fiber-optic connection services.
Jan. 2002   Asahi Net was evaluated as overall No.1 internet service provider in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine.
Mar. 2003   Started IP-Phone services.
Apr. 2003   Number of Asahi Net members reached 300,000.
Sept. 2003   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine for two terms in a row.
Jan. 2004   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine for three terms in a row.
Sept. 2004   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Click magazine for four terms in a row. (Sponsored by Nikkei Net Navi magazine until 2003.)
Oct. 2004   Started SpamBlock service, which filters unsolicited mails.
Jan. 2005   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Click magazine for five terms in a row.
Mar. 2005   Started ASP Groupware service AsaOne.
Mar. 2005   Started self-developed blog service Asablo.
June 2005   Started Asahi Net FTTH with FLET'S service.
Dec. 2005   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Nikkei PC ISP Ranking 2005 for six terms in a row. (Sponsored by Nikkei Click magazine until 2005.)
Apr. 2006   Started offering Asahi Net TV, a high-quality broadband video-streaming service for TV.
Aug. 2006 Increased capital through allocation of new shares to a third party, NTT EAST.  
Dec. 2006   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Nikkei PC ISP Ranking 2006 for seven terms in a row. (The survey was ended in 2006.)
Dec. 2006 Listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  

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Going Beyond

In 2007, leveraging strength in network operation and software development acquired through ISP business, Asahi Net self-developed learning management system manaba, and started offering service to educational institutions.

The same year, Asahi Net was listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Since public listing, Asahi Net has continued to expand services that appeal to customers, seizing changes in the market and needs of customers. In 2011, number of Asahi Net members for the company's core ISP business reached half a million. Application of a new service, manaba has been increasing and the number of schools implementing on institution-wide basis has reached 97 by 2019.

In 2017, we have launched the Virtual Network Enabler (VNE) business to provide Asahi Net members IPv6 connection service.
Then, in 2018, we have launched v6 Connect, which provides IPv6 connection service to other telecommunication companies. As partnership deepens, the traffic of v6 Connect increases and drives contribution to our business.
We will continue to strive for further development through service expansion by leveraging our strength of ISP business knowledge.

  Footsteps of Asahi Net Development of Service
Feb. 2007   Started development and marketing of learning management system manaba.
Nov. 2007   Number of Asahi Net members reached 400,000.
Dec. 2007   Ranked No.1 in ISP (fiber optics) Customer Satisfaction Survey 2007 ran by J.D. Power.
Dec. 2007 Listing transferred to the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  
July 2008   Ranked No.1 in Nikkei Business After-sales Service Satisfaction Ranking 2008 for ISP.
Sept. 2009   Number of Asahi Net members reached 450,000.
July 2010   Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP Customer Satisfaction Survey 2010 ran by Nikkei BP Consulting.
Nov. 2010   Ranked No.1 in ISP (fiber optics) Customer Satisfaction Survey 2010 ran by J.D. Power.
Apr. 2011 Established Asahi Net International, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary company.  
Sept. 2011   Number of Asahi Net members reached 500,000.
Dec. 2011   Ranked No.1 in ISP Ranking with High Customer Satisfaction 2012 ran by Oricon.
Nov. 2012   Started providing FLET'S Hikari Wi-Fi Access Course, a fiber-optic connection service for small-sized complex housing at the lowest price in the industry.
Mar. 2013   Started offering Asahi Net LTE.
Apr. 2013 U.S. subsidiary, Asahi Net International, Inc. acquired learning management system business of rSmart.  
Dec. 2013 Signed capital and business partnership with The Asahi Shimbun Company.  
Feb. 2014   Started offering Asahi Net WiMAX 2+.
Sept. 2014   Started offering Asahi Net Omakase Router.
Feb. 2015   Started offering AsahiNet Hikari.
Apr. 2017   Started providing IPv6 Connection Service to Asahi Net members.
Apr. 2018   Started providing a service in which IPv4 static address can be used with IPv6 Connection Service.
Sept. 2018   Number of Asahi Net members reached 600,000.
Sept. 2018   Started providing IPv6 connection service as v6 Connect to partner telecommunication carrier.
Aug. 2019   Started Asahi Net Hikari Denwa
Mar. 2020   v6 Connect started providing IPv4 over IPv6 (DS-Lite) on home gateway by NTT East/West.
Apr. 2020   Started Asahi Net Hikari Cross, an FTTH service of maximum connection speed of 10 Gbps (download/upload), in collaboration with NTT East/West.
Apr. 2021   Start of provision of IPv4 over IPv6 Connection Feature (DS-Lite) for Asahi Net members.
Mar. 2022   Started Asahi Net WiMAX +5G, a high-speed mobile connection service in collaboration with UQ Communications.
Mar. 2022   Achieved 100 schools in implementation of manaba.
Apr. 2022   The transfer to New Prime Market in accordance with the reorganization of Tokyo Stock Exchange.
May. 2022   Start of provision of a fixed IP address plan for Asahi Net WiMAX +5G, a high-speed mobile connection service in collaboration with UQ Communications.
Jan. 2023   Ranked No. 1 in RBB TODAY Telework Award 2022 ISP Category. Achieved an award for nine consecutive years, 12 times in total.
Mar. 2023   Ranked No. 1 in RBB TODAY Telework Award 2023 ISP Category, three years in a row.
Feb. 2024   Ranked No. 1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award 2023 ISP Category and No. 1 in Carrier Category (by Area) for East Japan. Achieved the award for ten consecutive years, 13 times in total.
Oct. 2024   Received the Best Award for Customer Support Category, and Excellent Award for Speed Category and Online Game Category in RBB TODAY Hikari Collaboration Award 2024.
Jan. 2025   Ranked No. 1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award for ISP Category and Carrier Category (by Area) for East Japan. Achieved the award for 11 consecutive years, 14 times in total.

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Awards

2025

  • Ranked No.1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award 2024 ISP Category and No. 1 in Carrier Category (by Area) for East Japan.
    News Release (Japanese)

2024

  • Received the Best Award for Customer Support Category, and Excellent Award for Speed Category and Online Game Category in RBB TODAY Hikari Collaboration Award 2024.
    News Release (Japanese)

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Oricon Japan Customer Satisfaction Survey 2015 Internet Service Provider (Kanto area) Category.
  • Ranked No.1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award 2015 ISP Category.
  • A course method at Otaru University of Commerce employing respon received the 12th Japan e-Learning Award Active Learning Category.
    News Release (Japanese)

2014

  • Ranked No.1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award 2014 ISP Category.

2012

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2011

  • Ranked No.1 in Oricon ISP Ranking with High Customer Satisfaction 2012 Nationwide ISP Category.
  • Ranked No.1 in RBB TODAY Broadband Award 2011 ISP Category.
  • Ranked No.1 in Kakaku.com ISP Customer Satisfaction Ranking 2011.

2010

  • Ranked No.1 in ISP (fiber optics) Customer Satisfaction Survey 2010 ran by J.D. Power.
  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP Satisfaction Survey 2010 ran by Nikkei BP Consulting.

2009

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Oricon ISP Ranking with High Customer Satisfaction Nationwide ISP Category.

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2008

  • Ranked No.1 in Nikkei Business After-sales Service Satisfaction Ranking 2008 for ISP category.

2007

  • Ranked No.1 in ISP (fiber optics) Customer Satisfaction Survey 2007 ran by J.D. Power.

2006

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Nikkei PC ISP Ranking 2006 for seven terms in a row. (The survey was ended in 2006.)

2005

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in Nikkei PC ISP Ranking 2005 for six terms in a row. (Sponsored by Nikkei Click magazine until 2005.)
  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Click magazine for five terms in a row.

Back to Awards List

2004

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Click magazine for four terms in a row. (Sponsored by Nikkei Net Navi magazine until 2003.)
  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine for three terms in a row.

2003

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine for two terms in a row.

2002

  • Ranked No.1 for overall evaluation in ISP survey ran by Nikkei Net Navi magazine.