Radio Regulatory Council Compiles a Report on Amendments to Ministerial Ordinance for Adding Special Exemption thereto

On February 9, 2005, MIC received a report from the Radio Regulatory Council (Chair: Prof. YASUDA Yasuhiko, the School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University), stating that the "proposed ministerial ordinance for amending the Regulations for the Enforcement of the Radio Law" -- to stipulate a special exception for parties of communications described on licenses for aeronautical stations -- is appropriate. MIC will, paying due respect to the report, amend the "Regulations for the Enforcement of the Radio Law," without delay.

1. Outline of the amendment
MIC will -- in order to add foreign aircraft stations as a special exemption of "other parties of communications with aeronautical stations for air transportation service established at airfields where aeronautical stations for telecommunications services are not established" -- amend part of Article 37 of the "Regulations for the Enforcement of the Radio Law (Radio Regulatory Commission Rules No. 14 of 1950)." In addition, MIC will provide for other necessary stipulations for the same article and Article 46 of the Regulations for Operating Radio Stations (Radio Regulatory Commission Rules No. 17 of 1950).
• The following item shall be added to Article 37 of the "Regulations for the Enforcement of the Radio Law":
xx) Communications on normal operations between aeronautical stations for air transportation service established at airfields where aeronautical stations for telecommunications services are not established and foreign aircraft stations

2. Effective date
This ministerial ordinance shall come into force on the day of promulgation thereof.

Fig. Comparison of new and old systems
[Current system] Radio communications between aeronautical stations and foreign aircraft stations (Article 103-4 of the Radio Law) Communications via telecommunications carrier Communications for safety of operations (communications between a control tower) Other communications, including emergency communications, etc. No communications other than those listed above is allowed.		[Future system] Under given conditions, foreign aircraft stations shall be added as a special exemption of "other parties of communications with aeronautical stations for air transportation service established at airfields where aeronautical stations for telecommunications services are not established". (MIC ordinance: Article 37 of the Regulations for the Enforcement of the Radio Law)

"Study Group on High-Speed Power Line Communications" Held

On January 31, 2005, MIC established and held the first meeting of Study Group on High-Speed Power Line Communications (Chair: Prof. SUGIURA Akira, Tohoku University) to start the deliberation upon the possibilities and conditions for coexistence between radio use and high-speed PLC (power line communications which enable high-speed communications with increased usable frequencies).

1. Background and purposes
The power line communications (PLC) is a technology for transmitting information through existing power cables and enabling easy establishment of networks. Recently, increase the usable frequencies is to be expected for the speed-up of PLC.
However, there have been concerns about influences on radio use that should be caused by unintentional radiations from high-speed PLC facilities. Thus, MIC in January 2004 introduced a system for implementing verification experiments pertaining to technologies for reducing such unintentional radiations, and since March 2004 the experiments have been put into practice.
In this situation, the Study Group is deliberating upon the possibility of and conditions for coexistence between radio use and high-speed PLC.

2. Topics for investigation

3. Schedule
The first meeting was held on January 31, 2005, and the Study Group will, after a series of meetings, compile its findings as a report by October 2005.