The MIC-ITU Symposium on Disaster Communications

  On Friday, March 16, 2012, in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the ITU* will hold a joint Symposium on Disaster Communications to share with overseas organizations the knowledge and lessons Japan has learned in the ICT field from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting reconstruction process.
  *ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries.

1. Background and objectives of the symposium

In the one year since the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11, 2011, MIC has been actively pursuing initiatives to construct disaster-resistant ICT networks while moving ahead with post-earthquake restoration and rebuilding efforts.

On the other hand, in view of the natural disasters that have stuck other parts of the Asia Pacific region in recent years, interest in the experience of Japan has been increasing.

Given this context, we specifically chose Sendai to hold this symposium with the participation of overseas ICT regulatory agencies and other organizations. The symposium’s objectives are twofold: to share with overseas organizations the knowledge and lessons Japan has learned in the ICT field from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the reconstruction process, and to provide an understanding of the state of post-earthquake reconstruction in the area.

2. Symposium overview

(1) Date

Friday, March 16, 2012

(2) Location

Sendai International Center,

Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

(3) Hosted by MIC and ITU

Supported by Miyagi Prefecture, the City of Sendai, Tohoku ICT Panel, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

(4) Attendees

Overseas ICT regulatory agencies, telecommunication and broadcasting operators, Miyagi Prefecture, the City of Sendai, academic organizations, etc.

(5) Main program of the symposium

Planning programs include presentations centered on responses to the Great East Japan Earthquake, restoration, and rebuilding, and screenings of videos on reconstruction in the disaster areas

[URL]http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/Releases/Telecommunications/20120111.html

The 2011 Basic Survey on the Information and Communications Industry (preliminary report)

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) compiled the second survey results (preliminary report) of the "Basic Survey on the Information and Communications Industry," a joint survey program to comprehensively evaluate the overall status of Japan's information and communications industry.

1. Outline of the Survey

(1) Purpose

To identify enterprise activities in the information and communications industry of Japan and thereby obtain fundamental data for information and communications policies

(2) Legal basis

General statistical survey under the Statistics Act (Act No. 53 of 2007)

(3) Surveying organizations

METI and MIC

(4) Business types and criteria for the survey

Businesses engaged in the information and communications industry (communications, broadcasting, information services, Internet based services, video picture, sound information, character information production and distribution) and capitalized at ¥30 million or more*

*Regardless of this amount, the survey covers all registered telecommunications carriers in the communications business, all private-sector broadcasters in the broadcasting business and all television and radio program production companies in the video picture, sound information, character information production and distribution business.

(5) Types of survey sheets

(a) Common survey sheet for all businesses: one type

(b) Business-specific survey sheet: five types

(6) Survey items

(a) Common survey sheet for all businesses: Number of workers, line of business, situation concerning business transactions and outsourcing, R&D, etc.

(b) Business-specific survey sheet: Sales by type of service, capital investment by type of business, etc.

(7) Survey method

Both mail and online surveys are used

(8) Survey date

March 31, 2011

(9) Survey period

From July 15 to September 15, 2011

2. Results

(1) Profile of companies engaged in the information and communications business

•The number of companies engaged (primarily or otherwise) in the information and communications business was 4,763. Their sales from the information and communications business in FY 2010 were ¥40,513.2 billion (total sales of all these companies were ¥60,500.6 billion), and the sales from this business of the companies which answered the survey for two consecutive years among them were \36,582.7 billion (a 1.7% decrease from the previous fiscal year). Telecommunications reported the highest sales, followed by computer programming and other software services and data processing and information services. These three sectors accounted for 77.7% of sales in the information and communications business.

•The number of companies classified as information and communications companies (companies whose sales predominantly come from the information and communications business) was 4,114, and their sales totaled ¥40,967.5 billion (of which ¥37,920.7 billion from the information and communications business). Sales per company were ¥9.96 billion (a 9.5% increase from the previous fiscal year), with the highest figure indicated by telecommunications, followed by newspaper publishers and publishers. Among the information and communications companies, those with sales of at least \1 billion represent 51.9%.

(2) Telecommunications and broadcasting business

The number of companies engaged in the telecommunications and broadcasting business was 922, and their sales for FY 2010 totaled ¥13,494.2 billion. The companies which answered the survey for two consecutive years among them recorded sales of \13,103.1 billion (a 0.9% decrease from the previous fiscal year). When classified by business, the sales figure was ¥10,742.3 billion for telecommunications business, ¥1,668.2 billion for private-sector broadcasting business, and ¥399.7 billion for cable television broadcasting business.

(3) Broadcast program production business

The number of companies engaged in broadcast program production business was 276, and their sales for FY 2010 totaled ¥244.2 billion. Sales of the companies which answered the survey for two consecutive years among them amounted to \139.5 billion (a 7.4% decrease from the previous fiscal year). Companies capitalized at less than ¥50 million accounted for more than 80% of them, and those with less than 100 workers accounted for over 90%.

(4) Internet based service business

The number of companies engaged in Internet based service business was 482, and their sales for FY 2010 amounted to ¥1,070.7billion. Sales per company decreased to ¥2.22 billion (a 26.6% decrease from the previous fiscal year), but the sales of the companies which answered the survey for two consecutive years marked ¥3.7 billion (a 1.2% increase from the previous fiscal year).

(5) Information service business

The number of companies engaged in information service business was 2,900, and their sales for FY 2010 were ¥10,256.3 billion. Sales per company were ¥3.54 billion (a 2.9% increase from the previous fiscal year). When broken down by sector, game software companies largely increased sales (a 16.7% increase from the previous fiscal year)

(6) Video picture, sound information, character information production and distribution business

The number of companies engaged in video picture, sound information, character information production and distribution business was 445, and their sales for FY 2010 were ¥2,083.6 billion. Sales per company were \4.68 billion (a 6.4% increase from the previous fiscal year). When they are broken down by sector, sales decreased for the publishers sector with many companies, but increased for movie and video program production companies, newspaper publishers etc.

Note: The data indicated in this document are preliminary and are subject to change.

[URL]http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/joho_tsusin/eng/Releases/Telecommunications/11122001.html