| (1) Concerning the blanket license for specified radio stations that belong to KDDI CORPORATION and OKINAWA CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY
(Consultation No. 31) |
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MIC explained the blanket license for specified radio stations that belong to KDDI CORPORATION and OKINAWA CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMPANY and provided a questions-and-answers session as follows. The Council deliberated this matter and replied indicating that the Council regarded it as acceptable. |
a. Explanation by MIC |
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This application is concerned with the application for the blanket license for dual-band cellular phone terminals that enable users to use two systems, CDMA2000 1x system (on the 800 MHz and 2 GHz bands), and CDAM2000 1x EV-DO system (on the 800 MHz band), with one terminal among 3G mobile radio communication systems (IMT-2000). This application is intended for the blanket license for regions other than those under the jurisdiction of the Kanto Bureau of Telecommunications. MIC already received the opinion that the Council thought it appropriate to grant the blanket license for the said cellular telephone terminals in the regions under the jurisdiction of Kanto Bureau of Telecommunications in the Radio Regulator Council meeting that was held on July 14 this year.
As a result of examining the application in the light of the relevant radio laws and regulations, MIC concluded that it met the relevant provisions such as the feasibility of the allotment of frequencies and the conformity to the Essential Standards for Opening of Specified Radio Stations, established by the Ministerial Ordinance of the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (former MIC). |
b. Major questions and answers |
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The following question was asked:
Are the EV-DO systems available on the 800 MHz band only? Why can't we use them on the 2 GHz band?
MIC answered as follows:
The EV-DO systems are only available on the 800 MHz band for now. MIC believes that sooner or later, 2 GHz-band EV-DO systems will appear, and eventually, we will see terminals that combine the CDMA2000 1x and EV-DO systems on the 800 MHz and 2 GHz bands. |
(2) Concerning the blanket license for specified radio stations that belong to Boeing Operations International Incorporated
(Consultation No. 32) |
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MIC explained the blanket license for specified radio stations that belong to Boeing Operations International Incorporated and provided a questions-and-answers session as follows. The Council deliberated this matter and replied indicating that the Council regarded it as acceptable. |
a. Explanation by MIC |
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This application is concerned with a blanket license for aircraft earth stations that use the Ku band to provide a broadband connection service to the Internet to Japanese airlines within aircraft. As to the technical aspects of the application, MIC received a report from the Radio Regulatory Council meeting held on February 6 this year that the Council regarded them as acceptable when asked to deliberate amendments to ministerial ordinances, etc. This time, Boeing Operations International Incorporated has applied for a blanket license for specific terminals.
An outline of the service is that a party on the other end of the aircraft earth station covers wide areas using several satellites such as AsiaSat and Superbird-C. The said service will be operated with a maximum of 106 earth stations and will commence operations on the same day as the blanket license is granted.
The schedule for starting the service is said to be as follows: October 20-On a trial basis; November 15-All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. as the first airline company user in a production environment; December 9-Japan Airlines. All these airlines will use it on international flight routes.
As a result of examining the application in the light of the relevant radio laws and regulations, MIC concluded that it met the relevant provisions, such as the feasibility of the allotment of frequencies and conformity to the Essential Standards for Opening of Specified Radio Stations established by the Ministerial Ordinance of the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (former MIC). |
b. Major questions and answers |
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- The following question was asked:
Does this application have anything to do with the INMARSAT system for which the Council deliberated a related ministerial ordinance amendment last month?
MIC answered as follows:
The INMARSAT system is a system that uses the L band and uses modulators-demodulators under existing antenna that are installed in an aircraft. This system under deliberation is a system that is designed to be installed as a package when being deployed in new and powerful aircraft, such as the Boeing 777. |
(3) Concerning approval for changes to contract clauses for paid broadcasting services offered by CS-WOWOW Inc. and Megaport Broadcasting Inc.
(Consultation No. 33) |
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MIC explained the approval of changes to contract clauses for paid broadcasting services offered by CS-WOWOW Inc. and by Megaport Broadcasting Inc. and provided a questions-and-answers session as follows. The Council deliberated these matters and replied indicating that the Council regarded them as acceptable. |
a. Explanation by MIC |
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This application deals with the request MIC received from CS-WOWOW Inc. and Megaport Broadcasting Inc. for approval for the change of the contract clauses of their paid broadcasting services accompanied by updates, such as the change of contractors to whom the customer management operation may be commissioned.
The details of the changes are that CS-WOWOW Inc. and Megaport Broadcasting Inc. will change their outsourcing contractors for the customer management operation from Plat One Corp., Ltd. to WOWOW Inc., and from SKY Perfect Communications Inc. to WOWOW Inc., and they will delete the clauses related to PPV services and other services that are allowed to be provided to viewers who meet a specified minimum age requirement and so on.
As a result of examining the applications based on the following provisions in Article 52-4 Paragraph 5 in the Broadcast Law and Article 5 in the Examination Standards for the Broadcast Law, MIC concluded that they met said provisions:
i) The agreement stipulates correctly and expressly matters related to the responsibilities of the paid broadcaster and broadcaster's domestic receivers,
ii) The agreement does not give unjustified discriminatory treatment to specific persons. |
b. Major questions and answers |
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- The following question was asked:
What are the financial statuses, business performances, etc. of the two companies?
MIC answered as follows:
MIC knows that Megaport Broadcasting Inc. has been in the red since 2000 and suffered a cumulative deficit of 1.9 billion yen in fiscal 2003, and CS-WOWOW Inc. has also been struggling.
- The following question was asked:
Is it difficult to make PPV profitable as a general trend?
MIC answered as follows:
For PPV programs that have minimum age requirements, MIC thinks that some companies featured the point at an early stage, but the current, actual status is that their performances is not so good, as suggested by the fact that the two companies have decided to withdraw from such operations. MIC will report the overall status of PPV at another time.
- The following question was asked:
What do other countries think about broadcasting PPV programs using radio waves, especially those that have minimum age requirements?
MIC answered as follows:
Other countries also use PPV per se as a type of broadcasting services and introduce it as a form to ensure the collection of viewing fees from audiences. |
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(The Radio Regulatory Council Secretariat is responsible for the wording of this document.) |