June 22, 2004, Vol. 15, No. 5 ISSN 1346-5317

*   BSIs for telecommunications businesses have been showing the plus figure continuously; for private broadcasting businesses, turned to a plus figure; and for broadcasters as a whole, have strong tendencies toward plus.
*   BSIs for telecommunications businesses have tended weakly toward plus; for broadcasting businesses including private broadcasters and cable TV operators, they are making good progress compared to the basis for all industries.

Note: Business Survey Index (BSI): the "percentage points of companies saying that the sales conditions are improving compared to the previous quarter" minus the "percentage points of companies saying that the sales conditions are worsening compared to the previous quarter."

¥ Telecommunications businesses are still in the "upward" tendencies of "6.7" for Q-I and "23.3" for Q-II of FY2004, respectively.
¥ Private broadcasting businesses turned to "plus," "35.5" and "9.7" for Q-I and "23.3" for Q-II of FY2004, respectively, from "minus" in Q-IV of FY2003.
¥ Cablecasting businesses are continuously in the "upward" tendencies of "50.0" and "50.0."

Table 1. Business survey index

Notes: 1. Basically, indices are estimated at the end of the previous quarter for each.  However, indices for Q-I and Q-II in FY2004 are estimated at the end of Q-IV in FY2003.
 2. Figures for "all industries" are based on the "Indexes of Business Conditions (April 2004)," the Cabinet Office

Fig. 1 Trends in sales forecast diffusion index

Notes: 1. Basically, indices are estimated at the end of the previous quarter for each.  However, indices for Q-I and Q-II in FY2004 are estimated at the end of Q-IV in FY2003.
 2. Figures of "all industries" are based on the "Short-term Economic Survey of Principal Enterprise in Japan," Bank of Japan.

3. Forecasts on business conditions
The Business Survey Indices (BSI: the "percentage points of companies saying that the business conditions are improving compared to the previous quarter" minus the "percentage points of companies saying that the business conditions are worsening compared to the previous quarter.") for Q-I and Q-II in FY2004 show as follows: 

¥ With respect to telecommunications businesses, the "upward" tendencies are weakening, showing "0.0" and "3.3," respectively.
¥ With respect to private broadcasting businesses, the "upward" tendencies showing "30.0" and "13.3," respectively, are in a strong tone.
¥ Cablecasting businesses continue to be the "upward" tendencies of "16.7" and "8.3."

Notes: 1. Basically, indices are estimated at the end of the previous quarter for each.  However, indices for Q-I and Q-II in FY2004 are estimated at the end of Q-IV in FY2003.
 2. Figures for "all industries" are based on the "Indexes of Business Conditions (April 2004)," the Cabinet Office

Survey outline

[Businesses surveyed]
The number of surveyed businesses for each type of business (telecommunications carriers and broadcasters) is calculated proportionally with the type's share in revenues for FY2002.  To be statistically significant, the sampling number, as calculated from the number of parent populations of communications industry, is set at 133.  The businesses surveyed are sampled in descending order from the one with the largest sales down to the 133rd one.

[Survey method]
Conducted by questionnaires (mailing survey cards, entered by businesses via fax or the Internet)

[Survey items]
Business forecast (conducted only in July, October, January and April and reported in the following month, respectively), etc. and sales (every month)

[Companies surveyed]

Introduction of broadband platforms in the aeronautical and maritime communications field has been lagging behind the land communications field where land communications systems have been swiftly shifting from narrowband to broadband.
Since November 2003, MPHPT has been holding the "Study Group on Future Aeronautical and Maritime Communications Systems in the Ubiquitous Network Age" (Chair: Prof. TAKAHATA Fumio, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University) for the purposes of deliberating upon future aeronautical and maritime communications systems in the ubiquitous network age, and future promotion measures thereof.
The Study Group has recently compiled its findings as a report.
The outline of the report is as follows: