Results from Appeal for Opinions on Ministerial Ordinance Plan for Partial Revision of Procedural Rules for Radio Station Licenses, etc.

　In order to service regulations concerning the upgrade of radiosondes, from June 25 to July 25, 2011 the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) conducted an appeal for opinions on a Ministerial Ordinance Plan for Partial Revision of Procedural Rules for Radio Station Licenses (1950 Radio Regulatory Council Regulation No. 15) and a Directive Plan for Partial Revision of Radio Law-related Inspection Standards (2001 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) Directive No. 67), in response to which one opinion was submitted. This opinion and the MIC's views on this opinion are officially announced in the enclosed document.
　Accordingly, revision of the Procedural Rules for Radio Station Licenses and Radio Law-related Inspection Standards will promptly be carried out based on the results from this appeal for opinions.

1. Outline

　Radiosondes are a form of wireless equipment installed in balloons and aircraft, etc. carried to high altitude levels of the atmosphere to transmit meteorological information to the ground, including atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction, wind speed, etc.
　Radiosondes are currently utilized in direct measurement of high altitude levels of the atmosphere for the high altitude meteorological observation necessary for weather forecasting, etc. However, in order to support diversified needs such as simultaneous observation of multiple sites and short time continuous observation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has carried out system maintenance so as to upgrade radiosondes, convert occupied frequency bandwidths to narrowband, and expand the frequencies that can be allocated.
　This matter services the relevant regulations to facilitate the prevention of interference between relevant parties, i.e. by allocating frequencies according to the situation in which radiosondes are used, and so on.

2. Outline of main revisions

(1) In order to allocate frequencies taking into account the situation of radiosonde use when inspecting radio stations, this will be written in the recipient's field in the radio station item list in the document attached to the written application in the case of fixed observation .
(2) Frequencies allocated to narrowband radiosondes will be set as the 25 common use waves between 403.3MHz and 405.7MHz, and allocations will be made with the assumption that usage will be adjusted to prevent interference between relevant parties.
(3) Frequencies allocated to narrowband radiosondes will be allocated according to whether or not the radiosonde is in a fixed observation situation.

3. Results from appeal for opinions

　The opinion submitted and the MIC's views on this opinion are as per the enclosed document.

4. Schedule

　Based on the results from the appeal for opinions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will promptly revise the Procedural Rules for Radio Station Licenses and Radio Law-related Inspection Standards.

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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
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

International Policy Division,
Global ICT Strategy Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5374 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924