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On March 1, 2011, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) submitted an inquiry to the Information and Communications Council (Chairman: Takuma Otoshi, Chairman of IBM Japan) concerning the "State of Environmental Maintenance for Promotion of Broadband Diffusion," as per the enclosed document.
1. Background
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has set forth a target for the realization of broadband use in all households by approximately the year 2015, and in December 2010 the MIC decided on and officially announced a basic policy and progress schedule compiling policies necessary for the achievement of this target along with a schedule for the initiative.
In line with this basic policy, etc., the MIC is already launching progressive initiatives such as a bill for the separation of NTT East and West functions, etc., which will be submitted to the current session of the Diet after a cabinet decision has been made. However, it is important from the viewpoint of plotting the promotion of broadband diffusion to comprehensively promote initiatives that are necessary for the stimulation of competition between businesses, such as through the promotion of competition in facilities for the liberalization of road line laying foundations (telephone poles, pipelines, etc.); in services opening NGN (Next Generation Networks); and in the rapidly changing market environment of the mobile communications market, etc.
Also, in November 2010, NTT East and West officially announced its thinking regarding a systematic migration from telephone networks to IP networks commencing in 2020 and to be completed in approximately 2025. However, since the migration of NTT East and West's telephone networks will have significant effects on the users of services provided by means of these telephone networks and on the project operations, etc. of businesses that provide competitive services through connections to these telephone networks, it will be important when promoting broadband diffusion to ensure a smooth migration from telephone networks to IP networks.
In light of the above, the inquiry submitted to the Information and Communications Council concerns the state of environmental maintenance for the promotion of broadband diffusion.
2. Deliberation system
In order to investigate and study this matter, the "Competition Policy Board for Promotion of Broadband Diffusion" and the "Committee for Smooth Migration from Telephone Networks" (see enclosed documents for lists of members) have been newly established under the Information and Communications Council Telecommunications Business Policy Section Meeting.
3. Schedule
After study and deliberation at the Information and Communications Council Telecommunications Business Policy Section Meeting along with the "Competition Policy Board for Promotion of Broadband Diffusion" and the "Committee for Smooth Migration from Telephone Networks," a report is scheduled to be compiled by the end of the year.
Also, in the near future there will be an appeal for proposals regarding the "State of Environmental Maintenance for Promotion of Broadband Diffusion," in order to contribute to these investigations and studies.
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For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html
International Policy Division,
Global ICT Strategy Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5374 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924 |
