Results of Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance for Partial Revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

1.Background of revision, etc.

  Article 48 of the Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment (Radio Regulatory Commission Rules No. 18 of 1950) based on the Radio Act provides for the technical requirements for marine radars to ensure safety navigation of vessels.
  Marine radars require high output to extend the maximum detectable range and magnetron has been used traditionally as a transmission amplifying element because of its reasonable price and efficiency. However, magnetron has a short lifetime (about one year in regular use) and it emits unnecessarily many times. In addition, the emitted frequency is unstable.
  In recent years, it has become possible to introduce solid-state components (semiconductor amplifiers) as amplifying elements for marine radars due to the improvement of their performance. In the case where solid-state elements are used, there are a number of merits such as prolonged lifetime, reduction in unnecessary emissions and stabilization of frequency compared to traditional marine radars.
  The MIC will consolidate related provisions, as the Information and Communications Council has compiled the technical requirements for marine radars using solid-state components.
  In addition, the MIC will review spare parts in the case where solid-state components are used in exchange for spare parts (vacuum tubes and rectifying tubes for transmission) provided for in Article 31, Paragraph 1, Item (i) of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act (Radio Regulatory Commission Rules No. 14 of 1950).
 

2.Result of appeal for opinions

  From April 7 to May 7, 2012, an appeal for opinions was held but no opinion was submitted. The MIC has decided to modify the draft Ministerial Ordinance to clarify the application relationship of provisions for radio equipment, etc. of ship stations using semiconductor devices which do not require the installment of spare parts.
 

3.Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

  On May 16, 2012, an inquiry was submitted to the Radio Regulatory Council concerning the draft Ministerial Ordinance for partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and the Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment, and a report stating its approval of the original plans was received.
 

4.Future Plans

  The MIC will swiftly revise the relevant Ministerial Ordinance, etc. based on the result of the appeal for opinions and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council.
 

Related reports and documents

- Partial report from the Information and Communications Council concerning “technical requirements for marine radars using solid-state components (press release of February 17, 2012)
- Appeal for opinions on draft Ministerial Ordinance for partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act: Introduction, etc. of 3GHz-band marine radars using solid-state components (press release of April 6, 2012)