MPHPT Communications News Vol.16

On October 16, 2001, MPHPT announced a "National Broadband Initiative." The Initiative was outlined as a project to be developed by MPHPT as early as possible in the "Administrative Promotion Plan for Fiscal Year 2002," announced on August 30, 2001, and in the "Reform Schedule," determined by the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy on September 21, 2001.

The "National Broadband Initiative" clearly states a schedule to realize the high-speed/ultrahigh-speed Internet in Japan by FY2005, the respective roles for the public and the private sectors, the prospective number of high-speed/ultrahigh-speed Internet subscribers and the expected social benefit brought on by the deployment of broadband Internet.
From this point on, MPHPT will actively promote the deployment of high-speed/ultrahigh-speed Internet infrastructure to make Japan the most advanced IT nation in the world.

National Broadband Initiative
Toward the "most advanced IT nation in the world"

1. Deployment of broadband network infrastructure

Refer to Attachments 1, 2

[Targets]

1) High-speed network infrastructure
Achieve the goal, the deployment of "30 million households" by FY2005 through the private sector's deployment of high-speed networks, and create an environment that enables all people in every region, regardless of their geographical constraints, to have 24-hour access to the Internet.

2) Ultrahigh-speed network infrastructure
Achieve the goal, the deployment of "10 million households" by FY2005 through the private sector's deployment of ultrahigh-speed networks mainly in metropolitan areas. However, as to subscriber fiber-optic networks, the public sector's deployment is vital for narrowing the "digital divide" caused by geographical constraints.

Upon the network deployment by the public sector, from the viewpoint to promote electronic governments that realize advanced public services such as education, administration, welfare, medical care and prevention of disasters, it is desirable to utilize public LANs deployed by local governments, connecting public facilities.

3) Public LANs connecting public facilities
Implement deployment in every region by FY2005:

2. Predicted deployment of broadband Internet (number of household subscriptions)

Refer to Attachment 3

Although DSL is expected to constitute the mainstream of high-speed/ultrahigh-speed Internet access service for the time being, ultrahigh-speed access services using fiber-optic networks are expected to be deployed rapidly from FY2003 and eventually overtake DSL.

3. Changes in lifestyle resulting from public applications realized through high-speed/ultrahigh-speed networks

Refer to Attachment 4

Reference A
Method of forecasting the number of households subscribing to high-speed/ultrahigh-speed Internet services

1. Predicting Internet deployment by number of households with Internet access
(1) Predictions for the Internet household deployment rate in each fiscal year are based on previous Internet household deployment rates.
(2) Predictions for the total number of households in each fiscal year use data from the "Predictions of the Future Number of Households in Japan," provided by the National Institute for Population and Social Security Research.

Deployment in the number of households with Internet access = (1) x (2) (Unit: million households)

In addition, it is assumed that 30 percent of the households with Internet access will not have continuous access to the Internet.

2. Classifying usage trends
Internet users are classified according to usage trends.

3. Estimating charges for each media
Access charges (including ISP connection charges) for fiber-optic services, DSL, cable Internet and wireless are estimated as follows taking into consideration previous fluctuations in charge standards.

4. Predicting the deployment of each media (based on the number of household subscriptions)
The number of households actually subscribing to each media is estimated based on the number of households using the Internet, usage trends, charges for each media and the number of households that could potentially subscribe to each media.

Introduction of Broadband Mobile Access System Using Quasi-Millimeter Band Frequency
Report from the Telecommunications Council

On September 25, 2001, MPHPT received a report from the Telecommunications Council (Chair: Mr. Yoshihisa Akiyama) on the "technical conditions for broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency." The outline is as follows:

[Background]
Recently, utilization of web services using mobile terminals has expanded dramatically, and it has become common to utilize the Internet while on the move. Along with the speeding-up of wire communications services such as fiber-optic networks and digital subscriber line (DSL) service, demand for high-speed wireless communications is growing. And, as diffusion of personal computers connected to the Internet at office and home is ongoing, troublesome wiring is becoming a bottleneck for use of the Internet.
A broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequencies employs ultrahigh-speed and high-quality mobile communications, which is easily connected to fiber-optic networks. In relevant organizations, R&D is being carried out for realizing high-speed wireless LAN, wireless access, and wireless home-link connecting information consumer electronics such as audio-visual equipment, and personal computers.
To this end, MPHPT inquired of the Telecommunications Council in May 2001 on technical conditions for broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency, and on September 25, 2001, received the report thereon.

[Outline of the report]
The broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency is a system enabling high-speed transmission over 100 Mbps and realizing high-speed high-quality wireless LAN, wireless access and wireless home-link.
MPHPT is, based on the report, planning to amend applicable ministerial ordinances.
Ref: "Quasi-millimeter band" refers to a frequency band between 10GHz and 30GHz.

Technical conditions for broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency
(The Telecommunications Council Inquiry No. 2002: Inquiry made on May 28, 2001)

1. The system outline
The broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency is a system enabling high-speed transmission over 100 Mbps and realizing high-speed high-quality wireless LAN, wireless access and wireless home-link connecting information consumer electronics.

2. Image of broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency
Because of the characteristics of quasi-millimeter band frequency propagation, it is used in areas covered by line-of-sight.
i) Internet access via access points established in public space such as streets and parks.
ii) Internet access method in households including houses, buildings and condominiums
iii) Transit trunks to access points
iv) Mutual interconnection methods among information consumer electronics and personal computers
v) Network construction method in offices

Fig. Image of broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency

3. Technical conditions for broadband mobile access system using quasi-millimeter band frequency

Wireless frequency band	24.75GHz-25.25GHz 27.0GHz-27.5GHz
Major applicable fields	Outdoor access system to the Internet, etc., such as hot spots, etc.	Wireless LAN and wireless home-link used at home, in factories and offices
Examples of applications	i) Using the Internet at access points established in public space such as streets and parks (up to a radius of about 100m) ii) Using as an Internet access tool at households including houses, building and condominiums (up to a radius of about 100m) iii) Transit trunks to access points (up to a radius of about 500m)	i) Using as an interconnection tool among information consumer electronics and personal computers at home (in a radius from several meters to about 30m) ii) Using as a network construction tool in office (in a radius up to about 100m)
Radio channel assignment	24 radio channels each of which has an 18MHz occupied bandwidth and a 20MHz frequency interval
Number of radio channels to be transmitted simultaneously	3 or less	6 or less
Signal transmission speed	Not below 20Mbps in a radio channel. However, it can be lowered to 10Mbps as the lower limit.
Example of signal transmission speed	Example of signal transmission speed: If transmitting with the OFDM method at 36Mbps per radio channel, maximum 108Mbps (for three channels) is realized.	Example of signal transmission speed: If transmitting with the OFDM method at 70Mbps per radio channel, maximum 420Mbps (for six channels) is realized.
Modulation method	-Orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) method -Other methods (amplitude modulation, phase modulation, frequency modulation, pulse modulation or combinations of these)
Antenna power	-In the case of the OFDM method i) If the number of used radio channels is three or less, less than 10mW per 1MHz ii) If the number of used radio channels is four or more, less than 10mW -In the case of other modulation methods -- Less than 10mW, regardless of the number of radio channels

Toward Advancement of Wireless System Using 2.4GHz Band
-- Report from the Telecommunications Council --

On September 25, 2001, MPHPT received a report from the Telecommunications Council (Chair: Mr. Yoshihisa Akiyama) on the "Technical conditions necessary for advancement of wireless system using 2.4GHz band." The outline is as follows:

[Background]
The 2.4GHz frequency band is allocated for low-power wireless facilities such as low-power data transmission system (wireless LAN), mobile terminal identification systems (or radio frequency identifier systems), amateur radio stations as well as for various devices for industry, science and medicine (ISM) such as microwave ovens.
At present, as regards low-power data transmission systems, along with the expansion of demands for wireless Internet access, development and studies on large-capacity data transmission technology, etc. are being carried out. Also, on mobile terminal identification systems, a study is being conducted on establishing a new method, which is superior in interference resistance, as a global standard. Under such circumstances, there is high expectation from industries for advancement in low-power transmission systems and mobile terminal identification systems.
Taking into consideration the situation above, MPHPT inquired of the Telecommunications Council on technical conditions for enabling advancement of low-power data communications systems and radio stations for mobile terminal identification systems. The Council, based on sharing conditions with other wireless systems using the frequency band, deliberated the issue and compiled its findings as a report.

[Outline of the report]
The outline of the report is as follows:
1. Introduce the transmission method enabling high-speed communications over 20 Mbps (OFDM) for low-power data communications systems.
2. Permit the use of highly directional antennas enabling expansion of communications distance in those low-power data communications systems.
3. Introduce an interference-resistant transmission method (frequency hopping method) in mobile terminal identification systems.
Based on the report, MPHPT will amend the applicable ministerial ordinances, etc.

Ref. Advancement of wireless systems using 2.4GHz band

[High-speed low-power data communications system (wireless LAN)]

Current mainstream is spread spectrum communications systems, whose maximum transmission speed is at about 10 Mbps.

By newly allowing OFDM systems, higher-speed communications (over 20 Mbps) is enabled.

[Relaxation of antenna gain conditions for low-power data communications system (wireless LAN)]

Currently, the maximum antenna gain is, in principle, 2.14 dBi.

By allowing the use of high-directivity antenna (12.14 dBi) limited to cases when an area does not increase the level of interference, prevention of interference and longer communications distance (about three times longer) are enabled.

[Introduction of frequency hopping methods in radio frequency identifier (RFID) systems]

Current mainstream is analog modulation methods.

By allowing frequency hopping methods, the following benefits are enabled:
i) Improvement in interference resistance
ii) Smaller equipment
iii) Harmonization with international standards

The radio frequency identifier system (RFID) refers to the system which accesses responders attached to moving bodies (humans or objects) through use of radio waves from interrogators. Used in automated production control at factory, physical distribution management and in/out of staff.

The Sixth ITU-R WP8F Meeting in Tokyo
Future Development of IMT-2000 and Beyond

From October 10 through 16, 2001, the sixth WP8F meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was held in Tokyo, with some 250 people from 33 countries participating. The meeting discussed the future development of IMT-2000, or the third-generation (3G) mobile communications system, and beyond. In Japan, the service of the 3G system was launched on October 1, 2001 and two other mobile carriers are planning to start up service from next year, the system will be operated throughout Japan.
The outline of the meeting is as follows:

1. Future development of IMT-2000 and beyond (fourth-generation [4G] mobile communications system, etc.)
Japan proposed the basic concept*1, i.e., realizing communications speeds at 50-100Mbps while moving fast through interworking of mobile telephone systems and wireless LAN systems, and the concept was accepted as a basis on which further deliberations will be made.
The structure of Recommendation was discussed up to the previous meeting, and practical deliberations on the future development of 3G and beyond have been commenced since the sixth meeting. There was a disagreement between Japan, the U.S. and other countries that aimed at realization in 2010 and the U.K. insisted on the achievement in later years.
The outcomes of the deliberations will be compiled as a WP8F Recommendation draft in June 2002, which is planned to be approved as an ITU Recommendation at the Radiocommunication Assembly held in the year after. Japan, aiming at practical use in 2010, is going to actively participate in the discussion on necessary frequencies, etc.
*1: Based on the Telecommunications Council report of June 25, 2001, the "Outlook for the Future Mobile Communications Systems"

2. Revision of IMT-2000 Recommendation
The revision of Recommendation was made for introducing more advanced systems than the current one. It was agreed to add more advanced systems, enabling high-speed packet transmission*2 for Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) introduced by NTT DoCoMo and J-Phone, and enabling high-speed packet and sound transmission*3 for CDMA2000 introduced by KDDI, to the Recommendation.
*2: High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA): A system enabling over 8Mbps downlink packet transmission at maximum. Simultaneous transmission of sound is also enabled.
*3: 1x Evolution Data with Voice (1x EV-DV): A system enabling over 2.4Mbps downlink packet transmission at maximum. While the 1x EV-DO system similarly enables over 2.4Mbps downlink packet transmission at maximum, the 1x EV-DV also enables simultaneous transmission of packets and sounds, which are not supported by the 1x EV-DO.

3. Global circulation of terminals
In IMT-2000, whose frequency band is standardized and whose radio systems are configured into five systems, it is expected that users can operate a single terminal everywhere under the harmonized standard around the world. For the purpose of realizing the global circulation of a terminal, compatible in each country's technical standard has been deliberated, and at the meeting, a Recommendation draft for out-of-band emission from terminals. It will be accepted at SG8 (see Reference) held in November 2001.

[Reference]
ITU-R WP8F: The Working Party 8 F (WP8F) is an expert meeting of the ITU-R's sub-division for mobile service, the Study Group 8 (SG8). The WP8F is studying the advancement of IMT-2000 and beyond (4G mobile communications system). Currently, the WP8F is working for the Radiocommunication Assemblies (RA, the upper body of Study Group) held in 2003. The WP8F meeting held in Tokyo was the sixth one, and the seventh meeting will be held in New Zealand in February 2002.
And, a letter of appreciation was sent from the ITU Secretary-General and ITU-R Director to late Mr. Akiho Sasaki (then Managing Director, ARIB), who had contributed to the realization of IMT-2000 for more than 10 years since the very start of the study thereof.