2002 Press Releases

TOKYO, September 13, 2002 - Internet Initiative Japan Inc. ("IIJ", NASDAQ: IIJI) today announced that it completed an upgrade of its Japan-US backbone lines to 3.9Gbps from 3.3Gbps by securing an additional 600Mbps of capacity between Tokyo and Palo Alto. IIJ has increased its Japan-US backbone capacity by approximately 20,000 times since it installed its first international dedicated line in March 1994.

The Company reaffirms guidance for international backbone costs for fiscal year 2002. "While expanding the Japan-US backbone capacity, we continue to expect a further decline in international backbone costs in fiscal year 2002," said Koichi Suzuki, the IIJ President and CEO.

About IIJ

Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ: IIJI) is Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions provider. The company mainly targets high-end corporate customers. Founded in 1992, IIJ has built one of the largest Internet backbone networks in Japan, as well as between Japan and the United States. IIJ and its group of companies provide total network solutions that range from the delivery of new generation network services over an optical-fiber infrastructure that is optimized for data communications, to the construction of pan-Asian IP backbone networks. The company also offers high-quality Internet access, security system services, hosting/housing, and content design and systems integration.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents filed 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.