The agreement, ratified at a signing ceremony in Tokyo, Japan, provides customers with access to the networks and capabilities of each company, says Verizon. John Killian, president of Verizon Business and Shinichi Koide, senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of SoftBank Telecom, represented their companies at the event.

"Japan is a key strategic market for many global businesses as well as the headquarters location for many of the world's leading companies. For enterprises operating on a global scale, access to secure and high-quality communications infrastructure is a prerequisite for business success," says Killian. "This announcement is yet another demonstration of Verizon Business' commitment to assisting our multinational customers in achieving their global goals. We are delighted to join with SoftBank Telecom to deliver a seamless, high-quality communications experience that will support the evolving business needs of all our mutual customers, both within Japan and around the world."

SoftBank Telecom is one of Japan's largest information and communication technology solution companies and has a nationwide, fiber-optic network of more than 13,000 kilometers.

Last week Verizon entered into an agreement to acquire privately held provider of IT security services provider Cybertrust.