IIJ Introduces New Anti-Spam Measures for its Retail Internet Service IIJ4U and IIJmio; Preventing Spammers Through Outbound Port 25 Blocking

Business Wire, Sept 27, 2005

TOKYO -- Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ: IIJI), one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced it will improve email spam filtering by introducing Outbound Port 25 Blocking on the IIJ4U and IIJmio Internet services for retail customers starting on October 18, 2005. This will help control the amount of spam that is sent to the users of the major mobile phone service providers (NTT DoCoMo, au, tu-ka, Vodafone).

The unsolicited email, or spam, that is sent to mobile phones and computers increases steadily every year. Spam is used to circulate viruses and to trap unsuspecting users in fraud scams, and the damage grows more serious every year. Outbound Port 25 Blocking is one of the anti-spam measures developed and tested mainly among U.S.-based ISPs. This technique blocks access to the connection for sending email directly to the Internet using TCP port 25 (the port used in SMTP, the Internet e-mail transmission protocol) instead of passing through the outgoing email server of an ISP.

Since most email is delivered directly to TCP port 25 on the mail server of the destination domain, IIJ will work to prevent damage from email spam for mobile phones by restricting email from users of the broadband services IIJ4U and IIJmio (*1) to users of the major mobile telephone carriers when the email dose not first pass through an IIJ-designated email server.

IIJ actively promotes anti-spam measures by participating in industry-wide activities such as the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group, an international anti-spam group, and the Japan Email Anti-Abuse Group, which consists of approximately 30 Japanese ISPs and mobile telephone carriers. Future developments will include the introduction of Sender Authentication technology to IIJ services.

IIJ will continue to improve its services and give customers the safest mail environment possible.

(*1) Services that allocate a fixed IP address to customers are excluded.

About IIJ

Founded in 1992, Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ: IIJI) is one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers. The company has built one of the largest Internet backbone networks in Japan, and between Japan and the United States. IIJ and its group of companies provide total network solutions that mainly cater to high-end corporate customers. The company's services include high-quality systems integration and security services, Internet access, hosting/housing, and content design.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents furnished by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports on Forms 20-F and 6-K, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.