The development of broadband infrastructure has steadily proceeded in Japan, but has been has delayed in some areas of poor reception due to lower investment efficiency. The Telecommunications Bureau summarized reports after organizing "Strategic Meetings for Bridging the Digital Divide" from October 2007 to June 2008. Based on these reports, "Strategies for Bridging the Digital Divide" were established in June 2008, with policies developed to eliminate the digital divide as soon as possible.
For the development of broadband infrastructure, these strategies target the establishment of broadband in all regions lacking broadband capability and 90% ultra-fast broadband coverage by the end of fiscal 2010, and affording access for 200,000 persons currently outside the range of mobile phone areas by the end of fiscal 2010.
To achieve these development goals, broadband infrastructure is being developed through "composite" projects that promote "broadband infrastructure" and "mobile phone area development" for the integrated development of environments for using satellite broadband in areas where other types of broadband infrastructure are difficult to develop. For the development of ultra-fast broadband infrastructure, such efforts as supporting carriers and municipalities in developing fibre optic networks and introducing ultra-fast broadband in cable television networks will be promoted.
For the development of mobile phone areas, support is being provided to eliminate service dead zones for mobile phones by eliminating shares of burdens held by municipalities and private businesses through a higher percentage of government subsidies granted for supported projects or by easing the requirements for adopting and promoting efforts toward developing new technologies that can contribute to the development of areas facing severe conditions.
The Telecommunications Bureau will periodically organize meetings to be held by the "Headquarters of Strategies for Bridging the Digital Divide (tentative title)" in order to follow up on policies targeting elimination of the digital divide.

Market environments in the telecommunications business have drastically changed due to the proliferation of broadband use and diversification of business models. Given such a situation, and to further promote competition and secure benefits for users in telecommunications markets, policies to be implemented by early 2010 are summarized in the "New Competition Promotion Program 2010." This is a roadmap for developing rules of fair competition in order to respond to rapid changes in market structure due to advances made in IP, with confirmed items being implemented one by one upon considering comprehensive rules of fair competition for the entire broadband market based on each layer (business region), and ranging from terminals to application content.

Illegal and harmful information on the Internet such as the sexual abuse of minors resulting from the use of dating sites, cyberbullying, death threats posted on bulletin boards, and the distribution of child pornography have posed serious social problems. Joint initiatives between the public and private sectors have been taken toward ensuring a safe and reliable Internet society, along with voluntary assistance in deleting undesirable information, notifications made by private businesses, and promoting the introduction of filtering services and efforts for improving network literacy. In January 2009, the "Safe Internet Creation" promotion program was set up as a comprehensive policy package to deal with illegal and harmful information, and efforts have been made for that purpose.

Radio waves are used in various fields including mobile phones, wireless LAN, physical distribution, food safety, medical services, transportation, home communication networks and robots, and are considered important for establishing social infrastructure.
The MIC is now promoting research and development of use environments for more advanced new systems that use radio waves, including next-generation mobile phone systems that will be faster and upgraded versions of existing mobile phones, a safer driving system in the form of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), and a public safety broadband system.
The MIC aims at the global competitiveness strengthening in the wireless field, and is progressing Japan's advanced technology and know-how to other country together with related companies. The MIC supports Japanese related private companies so that they will win global competition. Concretely, we dispatch the mission composed of government and private sectors to various foreign countries and hold seminars by selecting 3G mobile phone handset (including the application that cooperates with the handset), Disaster prevention system, ITS, BWA (WiMax, XGP), 3.9G and 4G.
The Telecommunications Bureau works toward further expanding the use of radio waves, and promotes policies for enhancing user convenience and creating new businesses by promoting the advanced use of systems that use radio waves.