SoftBank Hikari and SoftBank Air go up ¥330 a month from December 2026: when your fee changes and the 30 November free-cancellation deadline

Summary: SoftBank is raising the monthly base fee for SoftBank Hikari and SoftBank Air by ¥330 (tax included). Plans with no auto-renewal change with December 2026 usage. Plans with 2- or 5-year auto-renewal change the month after your contract period ends. SoftBank Hikari 10 Gigabit does not change. If you want to leave because of this price change, SoftBank waives the line and option cancellation fees only if you apply by 30 November 2026. If you are happy to stay, you do not need to apply for anything.

I checked this against SoftBank’s own notices and FAQ on 3 November 2026. “Hikari” (光) means fibre internet. SoftBank Air is its home router service.

What is changing

Two things happen from December 2026. The base fee goes up by a flat ¥330 a month, and the name “SoftBank Hikari” (SoftBank 光) becomes “SoftBank Hikari+” (SoftBank 光＋). So a letter or bill with the new name is still about your existing service. The rise also applies to people who signed up in November 2026 or earlier.

New monthly fees by plan

All fees are monthly and include tax. Your actual bill can differ if you have discounts or options. Checked: 2026-11-03 (SoftBank special notice page).

When you will notice it

• No auto-renewal plans (Hikari no-renewal plan, Air 4G/5G common plan, Air no-contract plan): the new fee applies to December 2026 usage, which SoftBank bills in January 2027.
• Auto-renewal plans (Hikari 2-year and 5-year plans, Air 2-year plans): the new fee starts with usage in the month after your contract period ends. SoftBank’s example: if your contract ends in December, the new fee starts with January usage.

So people on auto-renewal plans may keep the current fee for a while. You can find your renewal month in My SoftBank.

What you can do now

1. Find your plan. Log in to My SoftBank and note your plan name and contract end month.
2. Work out the yearly cost. ¥330 a month comes to ¥3,960 a year.
3. Check the PayPay Card discount. SoftBank’s FAQ lists “PayPay Card Discount (B)”: ¥330 off a month with a regular PayPay Card and ¥550 off with PayPay Card Gold, which has an ¥11,000 annual fee. Check the conditions before you apply.
4. Decide before 30 November if the rise makes you want to leave. After that date the special waiver ends.

If you want to cancel because of the price change

The application period runs until Monday 30 November 2026. Have the contract holder’s name, date of birth and registered phone number ready. On the phone, a simple way to say it in Japanese is: “Ryōkin kaitei o riyū ni kaiyaku shitai desu” (料金改定を理由に解約したいです), which means “I would like to cancel because of the price change.”

Before you call, keep these points in mind:

• The waiver covers cancellation fees for the line and optional services. It applies only when the reason is this price change. Cancelling for other reasons, forced cancellation and service changes are not included.
• Ask about anything else you may still owe, such as router instalments or installation charges, so the final bill does not surprise you.
• Choose your next internet service first and ask for its start date, so you are not left without a connection.

Normally, if you cancel outside the contract end month and the two months after it, you pay a cancellation fee equal to the monthly fee for your plan and line type before discounts. SoftBank says this fee is changing along with the base fee. Contracts made on or before 30 June 2022 have separate rules, so check SoftBank’s page if yours is that old.

If a message about the price change arrives by SMS or email, you do not have to tap its link. Open My SoftBank yourself instead. Our guide to fake SMS messages in Japan explains the warning signs.

If you are not affected

SoftBank Hikari 10 Gigabit keeps its current fee. If you use another provider, this notice does not apply to you, but it is still worth looking at your household bills. Electricity prices also changed this month, as covered in our article on the November 2026 electricity rise.

FAQ

Do I need to apply to keep my service?

No application is mentioned in SoftBank’s notices for people who stay. The service continues and the new fee starts at the time shown for your plan.

Will everyone pay more from December?

No. Only no-renewal plans change with December usage. Auto-renewal plans change after the contract period ends, and 10 Gigabit does not change.

Why is my service called SoftBank Hikari+ now?

SoftBank is renaming SoftBank Hikari to SoftBank Hikari+ from December 2026. The new name appears alongside this fee change.

I am moving house. Does the waiver apply?

The waiver is only for cancellation because of the price change. Tell the hotline your situation and confirm what you would pay before you agree to anything.

Why is SoftBank raising the fee?

SoftBank says costs have risen because of inflation and other changes in its business environment.

Related reading

• How to read your electricity bill in Japan
• Electricity prices in Japan rise from 1 November 2026

日本語で読む

Sources

• SoftBank: price revision notice, plan fees and timing (Japanese)
• SoftBank: terms revision and special cancellation rule, 3 Aug 2026 (Japanese)
• SoftBank FAQ: fee change timing, PayPay Card discount and cancellation fee (Japanese)
• SoftBank support: hotline numbers and how to cancel (Japanese)

Checked: 2026-11-03