The MIC set up the Study Group on Putting in Place Balanced Nationwide
Broadband Platforms (Chaired by Professor Emeritus SAITO Tadao,
Tokyo University) on June 10, 2004, with a view to investigating
issues and policies for putting in place a balanced nationwide broadband
infrastructure. The group recently compiled, as a major part of
the draft of the Plan for Accelerating the Installation of a Regional
Broadband Infrastructure, which is aimed at regional public bodies,
the Plan for Eliminating Zero Broadband Areas-a Draft Plan to Regional
Public Bodies for an Optical Broadband Community- (draft interim
report).
The MIC invites comments, in Japanese, concerning this draft interim
report.
Points of the draft plan for eliminating zero broadband areas -a
draft plan to regional public bodies for an optical broadband community-(draft
interim report)
(1) Installation of the broadband infrastructure is currently progressing
centered on urban areas, and installation is not going ahead in
areas where one cannot expect investments from private sector companies
because of profitability problems, and so the elimination of the
digital divide caused by geographical factors has become a pressing
issue.
(2) Against this background, and taking into consideration that
regional public bodies are expected to play a important role in
installing a broadband infrastructure, especially in areas where
private sector work is behind, organizing concrete issues and examples
of approaches and introducing them to prefectures and municipalities
based on advance examples and successful examples to date (best
practices), and contributing to putting in place a speedier, more
efficient and more effective regional broadband infrastructure in
regional areas, along with clarifying the role and positioning of
regional public bodies.
(3) In the plan for accelerating the installation of a regional
broadband infrastructure (draft), proposing that FTTH should be
kept in mind as the ultimate in the installation of a regional broadband
infrastructure, but also the rapid installation of other media as
an important choice option in zero broadband areas, the carrying
out of a quantitative analysis on the current state of the digital
divide. Along with this, announcing a quantitative analysis concerning
the state of the digital divide and the meaning and for its elimination
and the results of a nationwide survey concerning a support measure
of ADSL subsidies, etc., by regional public bodies.
For details refer to the Japanese web site
http://www.soumu.go.jp/s-news/2004/041217_8.html
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For further information
about this press release, please contact:
International Policy Division, International Affairs
Department
Telecommunications Bureau
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Tel: (03) 5253-5920 Fax: (03) 5253-5924
Or visit
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html
to fill in the inquiry form.
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