February 17, 2003, Vol. 13, No. 21 ISSN 1346-5317

At the meeting of the "Japan-UK Consultation," opinions on "IT policy," "mobile issues," "pro-competitive policy," "digitalization of broadcasting," etc. were exchanged. The two countries agreed to create concrete collaborative projects.
At the "Japan-UK Ubiquitous Networks Roundtable," toward a ubiquitous network society, both sides adopted the "UK and Japan's co-operation in helping to create a Ubiquitous Network," agreeing upon that the two countries henceforth further strengthening collaborative ties among academia, the public and private sectors, and exchange opinions on R&D and standardization, etc.

I. Japan-UK Consultation
[Attendants]
Japanese side: Mr. NABEKURA Shin'ichi, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, MPHPT; Mr. ISHIDA Naohiro, Director-General, International Affairs Department; and others
U.K. side: Mr. David A. Hendon, Director, Communications and Information Industries Directorate, DTI; and others

[Outline of results]
1. IT Policy
Both sides exchanged information on strategies such as Japanese "Desirable IT Strategy in the Future" and UK policy based on "UK-online." We agreed on maintaining cooperation and the exchange of opinions on the points of accelerating utilization of established infrastructures hereafter and promoting advancement of ICT take-up across stakeholders in order to realize an IT Society.

2. Mobile Issues
From Japan side, we present the situation of Internet business through mobile terminals, etc. And from the UK side, information such as current condition of 3G mobile phones and the perspective on 4G was provided. Both countries have agreed maintaining cooperation and the exchange of opinions on the points such as measures to promote Internet business through mobile terminals, etc. in consideration of the UK and Japan's situation that browser phones are being penetrated.

3. Pro-competitive policy
Both sides exchanged information on the improvement of competition policies, such as the "Final Report of IT Special Sub-committee of Telecommunications Council" in Japan and new competition framework with a focus on "Communications Bill" which is under Diet deliberation in the UK. We agreed on maintaining co-operation in order to further promote competition in the telecommunications field.

4. Internet Privacy
Both sides exchanged information on the Convention on Cybercrime, consumer protection on the Internet such as measures for publishing illegal information on web sites and spam mail through cellular phones in Japan. We agreed on maintaining co-operation for reducing barriers to e-commerce.

5. Digitalization of broadcasting
Both sides exchanged information on policies and the current status of digitalization of broadcasting in the two countries and agreed to carry out a further exchange of opinions between the two countries and co-operate in order to promote the diffusion of digital broadcasting.

6. Issues about WRC-03
Both sides exchanged information on the frequency assignment to 5 GHz wireless LAN that is to be discussed in WRC-03 in June and agreed to co-operate for the realization of global assignment of 5 GHz, considering protection against existing services and taking expectations from industry to expand spectrum into account.

II. Japan-UK Ubiquitous Networks Roundtable
[Attendants]

Japanese side:	Mr. NABEKURA Shin'ichi, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, MPHPT; Mr. ISHIHARA Hideaki, Director-General for Technology Policy Coordination; and others
U.K. side:	Mr. David A. Hendon, Director, Communications and Information Industries Directorate, DTI; and others

[Attendants]
Representatives from academic circles, telecommunications carriers, manufacturers, etc. in the two countries

Theme:	Ubiquitous network
Agenda:
Agenda 1.	Ubiquitous network concept and technology Future Prospects and the technology trends
Agenda 2.	Ubiquitous network policy Status Quo of Use Research and Development Trends Structure of Promotion
Agenda 3.	Ubiquitous network and business model Business and Technology Strategy
Agenda 4.	Summary/Discussion/Exchanging Information and Opinions

[Outline of results]
Refer to the joint statement the UK-Japan co-operation in helping to create a "Ubiquitous Network"

January 29, 2003

The UK and Japan's co-operation in helping to create a "Ubiquitous Network"*

*Ubiquitous network;
A wireless and wired network which can be accessed via an information network such as the Internet anywhere, anytime and by anyone

I. In the future, as advances in high-speed networks accelerate, the coming of a "Ubiquitous Society" is expected in which the easy use of diversity of network access and mass-volume applications is made possible "whenever," "wherever" and by "whomever."

II. Moving towards the Ubiquitous Society, the UK's Department of Trade and Industry and the Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications held a Roundtable Seminar on Ubiquitous Networks on January 29, 2003 at which representatives from businesses, government and academia of both countries discussed the realisation and dissemination of ubiquitous networks.

III. The UK Department of Trade and Industry and the Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications agreed the following understandings regarding ubiquitous networks in this Roundtable:

(1) Ubiquitous networks are based on new network technologies (such as IPv6), new security and authentication technologies, next-generation terminal technologies and application technologies which will create fast-moving interactive content;
(2) Ubiquitous networks will free people from restrictions of space, geographical limitations and provide greater choices of networks, terminals, services and content;
(3) Ubiquitous networks will bring into reality the creation of new industries and new business markets, the establishment of a safer society and life, the promotion of greater social participation by the disabled and elderly population, and solutions to environmental problems.

IV. The UK Department of Trade and Industry and the Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications also reached the following conclusions in this Roundtable:

(1) The UK and Japan will make efforts to help establish the global wireless society by promoting policies that are geared towards the early realisation of ubiquitous networks with a common understanding of the impact of such networks realisation.
(2) The UK and Japan will facilitate the development of the sectors related to ubiquitous networks by exchanging information at their annual government bilateral talks.
In addition, the two countries will cooperate with each other in international fora such as the ITU and the OECD, as appropriate.
(3) The UK and Japan will facilitate the participation by civil society, businesses, research institutes and administrative bodies in order to broaden the discussion of issues relating to ubiquitous networks and the wireless society, and to develop projects in this field.

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

On January 27, 2003, MPHPT received a partial report from the Telecommunications Council (Chair: Mr. AKIYAMA Yoshihisa) on the "Technical conditions necessary for advancement of wireless system using 2.4-GHz band."
Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, a 2.4-GHz-band low-power wireless system, is generally using expensive, built-in battery-type transponders. Thus, RFIDs are applied to limited fields, such as automated production control and product ID management at factory, and control of in/out of staff and door open/shut at laboratories, confirmation of train pass, etc. Along with the progress in semiconductor technologies in the past several years, lower-priced batteryless tags became available en masse, it is anticipated that the tags will drastically expand applicable fields, including inventory and physical distribution management for books, rental items, apparel and other goods.

RFID devices incorporating the frequency hopping modulation method, which is superior to the existing narrowband communications system in interference resistant features, were developed. The frequency hopping modulation method has already been used for RFID systems of the specified low-power radio stations. It is expected that along with the widespread use of RFID systems, RFID systems will make the most of the frequency hopping modulation method for premises radio stations.

[Outline of the Partial Report and schedule for rulemaking]
The Telecommunications Council deliberated on the advancement of RFID systems for premises radio stations using 2.4-GHz band, and compiled the Partial Report for allowing use of the frequency hopping modulation method, which is interference resistant.
MPHPT will prepare relevant ministerial ordinances, based on this Partial Report.

Advancement of RFID system for premises radio stations
-- Introduction of frequency hopping modulation methods -
With respect to RFID systems for premises radio stations, by limiting usable sites to premises for suppressing interference with other radio stations, more advanced operations of RFID systems are enabled than operated as the specified low-power radio stations (e.g., a wider coverage of identification, improvements in accuracy of identification).
The existing systems are narrowband systems.
Frequency hopping modulation methods are to be available for use in RFID systems for premises radio stations.

More resistant to interference, smaller transponders, expanded use

[RFID systems]
Transponder: Consisting of an antenna and an IC chip, and attached to moving bodies (humans or objects). It receives radio waves from interrogators and returns data to the interrogators.

[Systems for premises radio stations]

Revision of Cable TV Technical Standards for Meeting New Reception Modes Including Digital Broadcasting
-- Report from the Telecommunications Council --

On January 27, 2003, MPHPT received a report on "Technical Conditions Concerning Extended Cable Television Broadcasting Systems Pertaining to New Reception Modes Including the East Longitude 110 Degree CS Digital Broadcasting (Inquiry No. 2006 of November 26, 2001)" from the Telecommunications Council (Chair: Mr AKIYAMA Yoshihisa). The outline is as follows:

1. Outline of the Report
Along with on-going digitization of various broadcasting services retransmitted via cable TV systems, technical standards pertaining to points of reception of cable TV were revised. Through this revision, the existing technical standards based on analog broadcasting systems will shift to ones based on features of digital broadcasting systems. At the same time, the new standards meet trends in networking of cable TV systems and shared use of headends, through performance specifications of reception signal qualities transmitted via fiber-optic cables and communications satellites linking cable TV facilities.
In parallel, in order to enable cable TV systems to operate server-type broadcasting, the same technical conditions as the server-type broadcasting systems are applied to ones for cable TV systems.

2. Major features
i) With respect to technical conditions pertaining to points of reception of cable TV, the quality of received signals is specified at input terminals of headends. The evaluation methods of the quality of received signals are changed from the carrier signal level and the C/N (Carrier-to-noise) ratio to the bit error rate (BER).
ii) In cases where a cable TV operator receives video programming from a video programming distributor via fiber-optic cables and/or communications satellites, the quality of received signals is specified by BER as in the case of broadcast waves.
iii) In line with the introduction of the server-type broadcasting, with regard to technical conditions of scrambling methods for digital cable TV broadcasting, the same technical conditions as ones for satellite digital broadcasting and terrestrial digital broadcasting are employed.

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Mr. Kalman Kovacs, Hungarian Minister of Information and Communication, Pays Courtesy Visit to Minister KATAYAMA

On January 20, 2003, Mr. Kalman Kovacs, Hungarian Minister of Information and Communication, paid a courtesy visit to Minister KATAYAMA Toranosuke and held a meeting.

At the meeting, Minister KATAYAMA explained the current implementation status of various ICT policies under the jurisdiction of MPHPT. Following the explanation, Minister Kovacs stated that Hungary is aiming at accession to EU in 2004 and after the accession Hungary will maintain an excellent relationship with Japan as a bridge between Japan and Central and Eastern European regions. In addition, Minister Kovacs expressed expectations for Japan's investments into Hungary in the ICT field including e-government projects and cellular telephones.

During his stay in Japan by January 24, 2003, Minister Kovacs and the delegation led by him visited telecommunications carriers as well as local governments including Gifu Prefecture and Ichikawa City, both of which are actively promoting e-government projects. He deepened his understanding on the current status of the ICT field in Japan through opinion exchanges, etc. with relevant persons.
With Minister Kovacs's visit to Japan, it is anticipated that cooperative ties between Japan and Hungary in the ICT field will be further strengthened.

Mr. Kalman Kovacs, Hungarian Minister of Information and Communication (right), Pays Courtesy Visit to Minister KATAYAMA (left)