If you didn't already suffer from broadband envy, prepare to turn green: homes in Japan are set to get a 1Gb/s connection to the 'net.

According to a Japan Today article quoted by Slashdot user ashitaka, Japanese telecoms firm KDDI is set to launch a fibre broadband service aimed at single-family dwellings which will offer a staggering 1Gb/s symmetric connection.

Unlike ADSL, which is asymmetric in that it offers a far lower upstream speed than it does downstream, the service from KDDI will offer a full 1Gb/s in both directions – perfect for people planning on uploading large quantities of data. There's no mention there of a monthly usage cap, either: that said, nor is there any mention of contention ratio.

Considering the speed, the price is surprisingly affordable at 5,985 Yen per month (£30) based on a two-year contract. From here in the UK – where a 20Mb/s connection (with just 768Kb/s upstream) will set you back around the same price – that looks like an absolute bargain.

The service, due to launch on the first of October, will be the fastest available in Eastern Japan – a far cry from that 'paltry' 100Mb/s the poor customers of rival fibre-to-the-home provider NTT have to put up with. By offering a service of ten times the speed, KDDI is hoping to poach some of NTT's customers and gain some ground on the 70 percent market share owned by its rival.