By Duncan Mackay

NTT and Tokyo 2020 today signed a multi-million dollar deal for the telecommunications company to become a Gold Partner ©Tokyo 2020Tokyo 2020 today announced Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation as its first Gold Partner in a multi-million dollar deal.


The company, based in the Japanese capital, will become the Official Telecommunications Services Partner of the Olympics and Paralympics. 

Tokyo 2020 is reportedly charging companies JPY¥15 billion (£80 million/$128 million/€110 million) to become top tier domestic partners as they seek to raise at least JPY¥150 billion (£840 million/€1.3 billion/$1.1 billion) in revenue through the programme.

NTT is ranked 29th in the Fortune Global 500 and is the largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of revenue.

The Japanese Government, who set the company up in 1952, retain a third of its ownership having privatised it in 1985. 

The group employs more than 240,000 staff working in 79 countries, under the leadership of President and chief executive Hiroo Unoura.

"Today, I am delighted to announce that we have concluded a contract with the NTT Group, and it is a great pleasure to welcome the group as Tokyo 2020's very first Gold Partner," said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori.

"We are looking forward immensely to working together with NTT to deliver a magnificent stage where athletes from across the world can come together to compete to the peak of their abilities.

"NTT has a long and distinguished history of connecting people across the length and breadth of Japan, and it is my earnest wish that we will be able to work together to further strengthen bonds between people and ensure that we deliver a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020."

Tokyo-based NTT, the world's largest telecommunications company, has signed-up as the first Gold Partner of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics ©NTTTokyo-based NTT, the world's largest telecommunications company, has signed-up as the first Gold Partner of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics ©NTT

The deal ensures that NTT will maintain its record of having been involved in every Olympics to be staged in Japan. 

They provided a variety of telecommunications services for Tokyo 1964, the only other occasion the Summer Olympics has been held in Japan.

They were also involved in the two Winter Games to take place there, Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998. 

"With the rapid evolution of ICT (information and communications technology), the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics require telecommunications convenience to be accompanied by safety more than ever before," NTT said in a statement 

"In addition to helping make the Games' telecommunications safe, secure, and welcoming, NTT is taking advantage of the Group's telecommunications related security technologies and its telecommunications service infrastructure inside and outside Japan, endeavoring to act as a 'Value Partner' in providing an unprecedented level of hospitality to the Tokyo 2020 and other relevant organisations, as well as competitors and guests from Japan and overseas."

Japanese triathletes, Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Yuka Sato and three-time Olympian Hirokatsu Tayama, joined Tokyo 2020 and NTT officials at the signing ceremony ©Tokyo 2020Japanese triathletes, Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Yuka Sato and three-time Olympian Hirokatsu Tayama, joined Tokyo 2020 and NTT officials at the signing ceremony ©Tokyo 2020

In addition, NTT DoCoMo, the company's mobile telephone division, is already one of the Japanese Olympic Committee's main sponsors. 

NTT is expected to be the first of a number of blue-chip Japanese companies to sign-up as sponsors for Tokyo 2020.

Among the other companies Tokyo 2020 are reportedly in negotiation with are Toyota, the world's largest largest automobile manufacturer, and brewer Asahi. 

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