Summary of Meeting of the Radio Regulatory Council (No. 902)



1. Date and Time
  December 14, 2005 (Wednesday)
16:00 to 17:33
2. Location
  Meeting room of the MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
(Meeting Room No.1002 on the 10th floor)
3. Attendees (Honorifics omitted)
(1) Members of the Radio Regulatory Council
  Mitsutoshi Hatori (Chairperson), Takeo Inokuchi (Vice-Chairperson), Junichi Hamada, Kashiko Kodate, Hatsuko Ukigawa
(2) Hearing Examiner of the Radio Regulatory Council
  Shuichi Tanaka
(3) Secretary
  Ikko Mitsui (Deputy Director of the General Affairs Division, Telecommunications Bureau)
(4) MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
  Suda (Director-General of the Telecommunications Bureau), Sakurai, (Director-General of the Radio Department), Shimizu (Director-General for Policy Planning), Kouno (Deputy Director-General of the Minister’s Secretariat ) and others

4. Minutes of the Meeting
(1) Concerning the draft ministerial ordinance that partially amends the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Law, the Regulations for Operating Radio Stations, the Rules for Radio Equipment, and the Regulations Concerning Technical Standards Compliance Certification etc. of Specified Radio Equipment as well as the proposed change to a part of the Frequency Assignment Plan
(Consultation No. 34 and No.35 of October 12th, 2005)
     Having deliberated the draft ministerial ordinance in the title involved in deploying high-speed and high-capacity maritime satellite communication systems at sea, extending fixed radio stations that do not require periodic inspections, and extending the frequencies for use with 18 GHz band wireless access systems, as well as the proposed change to a part of the Frequency Assignment Plan based on the written opinion and protocol submitted by the examiner who presided over procedures for inviting public comments (refer to the post-hearing opinion from the 408th Radio Regulatory Council’s written opinions), the Council concluded that the draft ordinance and proposed changes were appropriate and returned an affirmative reply.

(2) Regarding the proposed change to a part of the Plan for the Available Frequencies Allocated for Broadcasting
(Consultation No. 43)
  The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (hereinafter, “MIC”) explained the proposed changes to a part of the Plan for the Available Frequencies Allocated for Broadcasting as follows, and the Council deliberated this matter and made a reply indicating that the Council regarded it as acceptable.
 
- Explanation by MIC
 
    This consults the Council regarding changing the Plan for the Available Frequencies Allocated for Broadcasting in line with terrestrial digital TV broadcasting.
Terrestrial digital broadcasting was started in 2003. In the meantime, the actual start of broadcasting and the opening of key stations clarified many aspects of the technology that were invisible in the desk plan. Specifically, the experience revealed that the introduction of SFN and a decrease in transmission power were feasible.
The proposed changes will modify the Shizuoka Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture sections in the General Broadcasting offered by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and the Shizuoka Prefecture or Shiga Prefecture section for private broadcasters.
The simulation of terrestrial digital broadcasting did not clearly show that the introduction of SFN was feasible for Hikone and Kouga in Shiga Prefecture. When the key stations actually opened, experiments were carried out on SFN in the field, which proved that SFN could be applied to the Hikone station. For this reason, it was decided that the Hikone station would change to SFN that had the higher use efficiency of frequencies, and the transmission power of the Kouga station would be decreased accordingly.
The simulation showed that some areas in Fujinomiya and Izunagaoka of Shizuoka Prefecture could not be covered by key stations, but in reality it turned out that they could be substantially covered. For this reason, the transmission power of the two stations would be reduced. In both cases, viewers would be unaffected.
As explained above, the sections related to the frequency, channel number, and antenna power would therefore be subject to change.
A Plan for the Available Frequencies Allocated for Broadcasting should be prepared for stations whose antenna power exceeds 3 W, which excludes small stations whose antenna power is 3 W or less. For this reason, the Plan will exclude those stations whose antenna power turns out to be 3 W or less.

(3) Regarding approval of the program supplying business operations and domestic program supplying business operations involved in BS digital broadcasting
(Consultation No.44)
  MIC explained the approval of the program supplying business operations and domestic program supplying business operations involved in BS digital broadcasting and held a questions-and-answers session. The Council deliberated this matter and replied indicating that the Council regarded it as acceptable.

a. Explanation by MIC
  This is concerned with the domestic program supplying business operations related to NHK and the approval of the program supplying business operations in the wake the digitalization of 9 channels in BS digital broadcasting.
As to the program supplying business operations, four companies applied for them and all requested a certain transmission capacity because they wanted to engage in high-definition television broadcasting operations. NHK applied for increase by two capacity slots in BS High Vision, or transmission capacity extension for the purpose of securing higher image quality than that of analog services as standard TV broadcasting services in BS-1 and BS-2, and for other reasons.
In the general examination flow, MIC first examined the absolute standard in the light of the provisions in the particulars of Article 52-13 of the Broadcast Law and the related examination criteria. MIC wanted to deny approval for the business for which World Independent Networks Japan Inc. applied because the business did not meet requirements specified in the laws and regulations.
This approval process deals with frequencies for 48 slots for 9 channels and for a maximum of 12 slots for 15 channels. The frequencies for 9 channels will be distributed among the other 3 companies because 12 slots for 15 channels do not provide sufficient capacity for high-definition TV broadcasting operations.
Looking at the transmission capacities for which they applied and selecting the highest from each company, Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation applied for 22 slots, STAR CHANNEL, INC. for 18 slots, and World High-Vision Channel for 16 slots, amounting to a total of 56 slots, which a single repeater could not accommodate. Selecting the lowest one from each company, Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation applied for 16 slots, STAR CHANNEL, INC. for 15 slots, and World High-Vision Channel for 15 slots, amounting to a total of 46 slots, which fitted a single repeater. MIC believes that it is desirable to give a business chance to as many as possible when deciding which set should be selected, because this is one of the basic concepts of the Broadcast Law and the Basic Plan for Broadcast Propagation. In the light of this idea and the fact that MIC believes that the explanation in the applications about the number of slots that the three companies required is reasonable, considering the latest technologies, MIC believes that it is appropriate to grant approval to the three business operations.
As to how to deal with the other two slots, as leaving them unused is against efficient usage, MIC concluded that we should assign them to the company that needed them most. While bearing this in mind, MIC investigated the needs of each company and found that Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation needed high-quality images etc. most among them. For this reason, MIC seeks to assign the remaining two slots to this company.
Next, with regard to NHK, as 9 channels that have been assigned to NHK exhaust all new allotments, MIC thinks that it is logically possible to assign all 12 slots for 15 channels to NHK.
Digital broadcasts BS-1 and BS-2 that NHK are providing are operated in a very narrow band that was assigned to them due to various reasons at the start of the programs and currently they are inferior to analog broadcasts in terms of image quality. It is against the purpose of digitalization that the quality of analog broadcasts are better than that of digital services. Consequently, NHK naturally wishes to improve the quality of the digital broadcasts to make it equal to or better than that of analog broadcasts.
In addition, with regard to BS High Vision, which is being operated with 22 slots, NHK wants to enhance this and carry out improvements to data broadcasting and so forth. MIC believes that such needs are very reasonable. Consequently, NHK’s request for a total of 8 slots is acceptable in terms of necessity. The explanation per se for the need for the other 4 slots is reasonable. MIC, however, concluded that it was right to confine the increase to 8 slots this time by comprehensively considering the impartial and efficient usage of radio waves and the proliferation and healthy development of the entire BS digital broadcasting service.

b. Major questions and answers
  - The following question was asked:
MIC has decided not to assign the maximum number of slots but the minimum to each of the three companies. Does this mean that image quality is being sacrificed?
MIC answered as follows:
The number of slots for which they applied included capacity to be used for improving image quality and one to be used for the purpose of complementing main programs such as data broadcasting. Regarding image quality, especially, in addition to the fact that about 18 slots or less can provide image quality comparable to that of existing carriers with the latest technologies, MIC believes that it is sufficient to grant the minimum slots to each of them because that is what they wanted anyway, and so the word “sacrifice” does not apply to this case.
- The following question was asked:
Were the opinions of other broadcasters reflected in the process of reaching acceptance of these applications?
MIC answered as follows:
MIC released a “Study Group on the Digitalization of BS Broadcasting” report in December 2003, and at the same time, asked existing carriers—including NHK and satellite corporations—for their opinions. MIC has been approaching changes to basic policies and the like based on such activities.

(The Radio Regulatory Council Secretariat is responsible for the wording of this document.)