text: Japan NTT says hopes to start int'l business soon . TOKYO 1996-12-06 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp ( NTT ) said on Friday that it hopes to move into the international telecommunications business as soon as possible following the government 's decision to split NTT into three firms under a holding company . " We hope to start international telephone business as soon as possible , " a company official told Reuters . The official said the latest government decision to split the company under a holding company would allow flexibility in NTT 's international phone business . Earlier , Posts and Telecommunications Minister Hisao Horinouchi told a news conference the government plans to split NTT into three firms under a holding company , but did not specify when the restructuring would likely take effect . One of the three new companies will be a long-distance operator and the other two will be local-call operators , Horinouchi said . One of the local firms will operate in west Japan and the other in east Japan , he added . The long-distance operator will offer international services , Horinouchi said . The NTT official said the timing of the planned split-up was uncertain because more discussions by government officials were required .