ドコモが携帯電話の料金プランを値上げへ

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is September twenty-fifth. Japan's biggest mobile carrier, Docomo, has announced it is raising its prices. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

Mobile giant Docomo announced it will raise the prices of its phone plans.

It means a price increase.

More than fifty of the current plans will go up.

It means a fee, or a charge — like your monthly bill.

Depending on the plan, the increase is between one hundred ten and five hundred fifty yen a month.

It means width — here, the range of the increase.

From December, the popular ahamo plan splits into three tiers based on how much data you use.

It means amount, or quantity.

About seventy percent of Docomo's subscribers are affected.

It means the target, or who something applies to.

The average increase is about seven percent.

It means average.

The company blames rising prices, higher labor costs, and the cost of building more base stations.

It means prices in general — the cost of living.

About five years ago, phone bills in Japan dropped sharply at the government's request.

It means the government.

But lately, price hikes are spreading across the whole industry.

It means an industry, or business world.

If you want a cheaper bill, it looks like time to review your plan.

It means to review, or to take another look at something.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

From December first this year.

From one hundred ten yen to five hundred fifty yen a month.

About seventy percent.

That's all for today. If you have a phone plan in Japan, December might be a good time to check it. See you next time.