The Japanese Ministry of Finance and Posts & Telecommunications are to invest $1,200m to develop next-generation telecommunications equipment according to Newsbytes. The International Telecom Research Institute is expected to take a leading role in organising a joint venture between major Japanese electronics firms including Sharp Corp, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone and others. Technologies and equipment developed will be shared between the participating firms and the Ministries involved, with first fruit expected by 2001. The Finance Ministry will put up most of the capital for the new firm from the dividends it gets from Nippon Telegraph.
