February26, 2004, Vol. 14, No. 22 ISSN 1346-5317

[Policy Dialogue with Indonesia]
1. Policy Dialogue with State Ministry for Communication and Information(KOMINFO) (February 6, 2004)
The MPHPT delegation visited KOMINFO and exchanged opinions on ICTpolicies, terrestrial digital broadcasting and the future cooperation inthe ICT field.
The two parties agreed upon that i) Japan will accept ICT traineesfrom Indonesia, ii) Japan will cooperate in the area of e-learning, etc.,iii) Japan will support joint research for bridging the digital divide,and iv) holding international seminars, etc. continuously.  Both sidesexchanged opinions on main factors of successful deployment of broadbandin Japan.
2. Policy Dialogue with Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications(DGPT) (February 6, 2004)
The MPHPT delegation visited DGPT and exchanged opinions on telecommunicationsliberalization policies, the future cooperation in the ICT field.
The two parties exchanged opinions on i) introduction of competitioninto the telecommunications field, ii) universal services, iii) main factorsof successful deployment of broadband, and iv) development of rural communicationsnetworks with wireless local loops (WLL).

[Policy Dialogue with Thailand]
3. Policy Dialogue with Ministry of Information and CommunicationsTechnology (MICT)
The MPHPT delegation visited MICT and exchanged opinions on ICT policies,telecommunications liberalization policies and the future cooperation inthe ICT field.
The two parties agreed upon that i) Enhancement of testbeds (networks)between Japan and Thailand, ii) further consideration on cooperation betweenJapan and Thailand on the ICT development in the Great Mekong Subregion.
Both sides held a Q&A session on the implementation status, etc.of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to be established (sevencommissioners will be appointed within four months; foreign investmentlimit will be relaxed from the current 25% to 49%).

[Others]
MPHPT will hold Policy Dialogues with Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippinesin March 2004.
 

4. Agenda
<Morning: 10:30 - 12:30>

(1) Opening address: Mr. ARITOMI Kan'ichiro, Director-Generalof Telecommunications Bureau, MPHPT
(2) Explanation from MPHPT
Theme: Current status of analysis on evaluation of competition (tentativetheme)
Speaker: Mr. OHASHI Hideyuki, Director of the Office of Fair Competition,Telecommunications Bureau, MPHPT

(3) Presentation and discussion (plan)
Theme: Market definition
participants: Telecommunications carriers
(4) Closing address
Mr. EZAKI Masakuni, Director General of Telecommunications BusinessDepartment, Telecommunications Bureau, MPHPT

[2003]
October 7: Publication of the Basic Guideline (draft) and theDetails for Implementation (draft)
"Basic Guideline Concerning Evaluation of Competitive Situation inthe Telecommunications Field (draft)" and "FY2003 Details for ImplementationConcerning Evaluation of Competitive Situation in the TelecommunicationsField (draft)"

October 22: Holding of an international conference
By inviting stakeholders including government officials from the U.K.and the E.U., an international conference was held for deliberating uponthe entire process of implementing competitive evaluation between governmentsas well as among telecommunications carriers.

November 18: Finalization of the Basic Guideline and the Detailsfor Implementation
Based upon public comments accepted and opinions expressed at the internationalconference, MPHPT finalized the "Basic Guideline Concerning Evaluationof Competitive Situation in the Telecommunications Field" and the "FY2003Details for Implementation Concerning Evaluation of Competitive Situationin the Telecommunications Field."

[2004]
January 28: Holding of the Kyoto Conference
At the Kyoto Conference held by MPHPT jointly with the Graduate Schoolof Economics of Kyoto University, discussions mainly from the academicviewpoint were made focusing on quantitative analysis models concerningmarket definitions upon evaluation of competition.

March 1: Holding of Symposium I
Taking into consideration the discussions on basic structures of evaluationof competition at the international conference and the discussions on themarket definition at the Kyoto Conference, MPHPT will explain the currentstatus of evaluation of competition (1). Telecommunications carriers will express their opinions on the market definition(2).

Note (1): Based on the Basic Guidelineand the Details for Implementation, MPHPT will, with respect to MPHPT'sanalysis work on evaluation of competition, explain the current statusof i) information gathering from the supply side (telecommunications carriers)and the demand side (users); and ii) the market definition utilizing quantitativeanalysis models.
Note (2): Telecommunications carrierswill express their opinions on the market definition (plan).

End of March: Holding of Symposium II
With regard to future directions of analysis/evaluation on competitivesituations in each market, to be defined in line with the discussions atthe Symposium I, stakeholders and opinion leaders will deliberate at theSymposium II.  Like the Symposium I, telecommunications carriers willbe given an opportunity to express their opinions.

April: Release of the draft of results on the FY2003 Evaluation(plan)
MPHPT will release the results of the FY2003 Evaluation of Competition(draft) and invite public comments.

May: Final Conference (plan)
At this Final Conference, the evaluation of competition in FY2003 willbe deliberated upon as a whole, based upon the FY2003 Evaluation of Competition(draft). 

June: Compilation of the results of FY2003 Evaluation of Competition(plan)
MPHPT will compile and release the results of "FY2003 Evaluation ofCompetition."

¥ For digital information CEs; Trends in promotion and needsfor digital information CEs
¥ Trends in R&D/standardization on networking of digital informationCEs
¥ Challenges for realizing networking of digital information CEs
¥ Desirable networking of digital information CEs and promotion measurestherefor

Note: Japan Multimedia Festival: Around Japan, many local communitieshave been introducing ICT utilizing various information and communicationsmedia.  The purposes of promoting local ICT are to i) narrow the digitaldivide between local communities, and ii) construct affluent local communities. In this context, the important task is to extend leading fruits attainedin some advanced areas to other areas, through tailoring such results suitablefor each local community, thus resulting in an interlinked ICT networkson a nationwide basis.

¥ Note: The "Asia Broadband Program" isone of important pillars for implementing the "e-Japan Strategy II," anIT policy being promoted by the Japanese Government.  The Programaims at transforming the entire Asia to the world's information hub, throughJapan's active contribution to the construction of a broadband environmentin Asia. (Please refer to a press release of March 28, 2003.)