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MIC Minister SUGA Yoshihide Visits Vietnam, Indonesia and India

In addition, Minister SUGA requested ministers of those countries to support Mr. YAMADA Toshiaki, Deputy Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT), who will run for the post of Executive Director of APT Secretariat in the coming election (the General Assembly), to be held during the latter half of 2007.

As in the past, MIC will henceforth strengthen collaborative ties between Asian countries/economies in the ICT field.

Schedule

January 7 to 15, 2007

Outline

Minister SUGA held meetings with Prime Minister, H.E. Nguyen Tan DUNG; Minister of Posts and Telematics, H.E. Dr. Do Trung TA; and Minister of Culture and Information, H.E. Mr. Le Doan HOP. At those meetings, the two parties reached an agreement that Japan and Vietnam should strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the ICT field, including cooperation on the next-generation IP-based networks.

Minister SUGA held meetings with President, H.E. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO and Minister for Communication and Information Technology, H.E. Dr. Sofyan A. DJALIL. At those meetings, the two parties reached an agreement that Japan and Indonesia should strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the ICT field, including cooperation on facilitation of introduction of the third-generation (3G) mobile communications systems.

Minister SUGA and Minister Sofyan signed a joint statement that the two countries should collaborate anew on such fields as broadcasting.

Minister SUGA held meetings with Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Mr. Dayanidhi MARAN; and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, H.E. Mr. Priya Ranjan DASMUNSI. At those meetings, the two parties reached an agreement that Japan and India should strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the ICT field, including further promotion of cooperation through the Japan-India ICT Forum.

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International Standardization of "Guidelines for Telecommunications Accessibility"

Background

MIC has been promoting international standardization of telecommunications accessibility (NB-1) guidelines for older persons and persons with disabilities at ITU-T, in conjunction with the Info-Communication Access Council (chaired by emeritus professor SAITO Tadao of the University of Tokyo). The ITU-T recommendation for telecommunications accessibility guidelines was adopted on January 13, 2007, and the recommendation was made public on January 16, 2007.

Japan submitted its original proposal to this recommendation for telecommunications accessibility guidelines in November 2004. Agreement was reached at the ITU-T SG16 (NB-2) meeting in November 2006 to approve the recommendation at ITU-T.

Outline of Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to provide topics for consideration when planning, developing, designing and distributing all forms of telecommunications equipment and services, so that older persons and persons with disabilities may easily make use of telecommunications equipment and services such as fixed or mobile telephones or faxes, regardless of their disabilities or circumstances.

Future Approach

MIC will continue to work together with the Info-Communication Access Council which originally drew up these guidelines to promote actively the advancement of accessibility to telecommunications services by older persons and persons with disabilities through activities to inform and increase awareness across the country.

(NB-1) Telecommunications accessibility refers to the ability and ease of use for everyone, including the elderly and disabled, to use telecommunications equipment and services easily and unaided.
(NB-2) ITU-T SG16 refers to ITU-T’s Study Group 16 which is in charge of standardization of multimedia terminals, systems and applications.

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