Appeal for Opinions on Plan for Partial Revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations, etc.

　The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has drawn up a plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations (1950 Radio Regulatory Council Regulation No. 14) to accompany partial enforcement of the Law for Partial Revision of the Radio Law (Act No. 60 of 2011 Law; to be enforced within three months of promulgation of the Law). In addition, it has drawn up a ministerial ordinance plan for partial revision of the following, together with a plan for the revision of each relevant bulletin, etc. in the following: Radio Law Enforcement Regulations for system maintenance in relation to frequency expansion for 60GHz-band special low-power radio stations compiled by the “Working Group for Study of Frequencies for Implementation of Wireless Broadband” (November 30, 2010), Wireless Equipment Regulations  (1950 Radio Regulatory Council Regulation No. 18) and Technical Standards Compliance Verification, etc. in Special Wireless Equipment (1981 Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Ordinance No. 37).
　Accordingly, an appeal for opinions on these revision plans will be held from July 2 (Sat) to August 1 (Mon), 2011.

1. Background

(1) Plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations accompanying partial enforcement of Law for Partial Revision of the Radio Law
　The Law for Partial Revision of the Radio Law (hereinafter, the “Revised Radio Law”) was established at the 177th National Diet and promulgated on June 1, 2011.
　The same Law dictates that provisions set forth in Article 1, Clause 2 of the supplementary provisions are to be enforced within three months from the date of the promulgation of the Law (June 1, 2011), and in order to carry out maintenance, etc. of regulations that are necessary to achieve this, the MIC has drawn up a plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations.

(2) Plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations etc. accompanying 2GHz expansion of frequencies for 60GHz-band special low-power radio stations
　In recent years there have been rapidly advancing technological developments and international standardization for 60GHz-band (59-66GHz) special low-power radio stations (for which system maintenance was carried out in August 2000). A report compiled on November 30, 2010 by the “Working Group for Study of Frequencies for Implementation of Wireless Broadband”  (opened last year by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC)) stated the following: “We should consider expanding the usable bandwidth in the 60GHz band by 2GHz to cover 57-66GHz, ideally by 2012, in order to service home and office broadband environments.” This plan will now expand the usable bandwidth based on the above.
　The image below shows the 60GHz frequency bands for which licenses are unnecessary in various countries and regions. This expansion of usable bandwidth will mean that channel 4 of channels 1-4 as established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) will become available; further mutual utilization of other countries' machinery will become possible; and it will contribute to improved user-friendliness and reinforced international competitiveness.

　Accordingly, there will be a broad appeal for opinions on these partial revision plans.

2. Outline of ministerial ordinance and bulletin plans

(1) Plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations accompanying partial enforcement of Law for Partial Revision of the Radio Law
　This plan establishes the period of validity for authorization of establishment plans in Radio Law Enforcement Regulations. This period is established in Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) orders but must not exceed 10 years. In the Revised Radio Law, this period covers situations where special base stations use frequencies for which limits for use are established in frequency allocation plans, and the frequencies are used by actual existing radio stations.

(2) Plan for partial revision of Radio Law Enforcement Regulations accompanying 2GHz expansion of frequencies for 60GHz-band special low-power radio stations
　This partially revises Radio Law Enforcement Regulations, Wireless Equipment Regulations and Technical Standards Compliance Verification, etc. in Special Wireless Equipment, as well as revising relevant bulletins, etc., to establish frequency expansion for 60GHz-band special low-power radio stations and to change the lower limit frequency from the current 59GHz to 57GHz, etc.

3. Outline of public appeal for opinions

(1) Subjects of appeal for opinions

(2) Deadline of appeal for opinions
　Must arrive by 10:00 on August 1 (Mon), 2011 (mailed submissions must also arrive no later than the morning of August 1)
　Please note that the ministerial ordinance plan can be inspected at the address provided at the end of this document, and will also be published in the “Reports and documents” area of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) website (http://www.soumu.go.jp) as well as in the “Public comment” field of e-Gov (http://www.e-gov.go.jp), the electronic coordinated government contact website.

4. Schedule

　The relevant ministerial ordinances, etc. will be revised based on the opinions submitted and the Radio Regulatory Council's reply to the inquiry.

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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