YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Allied Telesis will open its new store at the Yokota Community Center on Friday at 4:30 p.m., almost a month before the company is expected to start providing base phone and Internet service.

The early opening is aimed at preventing long lines by giving Yokota residents a chance to learn more about the service plans Allied Telesis will offer and to sign up in advance, said Larry Salgado, general manager of the base’s Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which contracts the services to Allied Telesis.

“We plan on doing this transition as smoothly and seamlessly as possible,” he said.

By having customers sign up early, Allied Telesis will be able to better assess the needs of its subscribers as services start to go online, Salgado said.

And there’s something in it for customers, too.

Allied Telesis has obtained blocks of phone numbers with U.S. area codes that will allow customers to have phone numbers that are cheaper for friends and family in the States to call.

Customers who sign up early will have a better selection of stateside area codes to choose from, Salgado said.

Allied Telesis plans to begin Internet and phone service in February, with cable television service arriving in May.