November 13, 2020 Results of Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance, Notices, and Directive for Partial Revisions to Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

In response to the recommendations (in June 2020) of the Beyond 5G Promotion Strategy Roundtable, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) made an appeal for opinions from Tuesday, September 15 through Friday, October 16, 2020, on a drafted ministerial ordinance, notices, and directive for partial revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act to simplify the procedure for obtaining experimental radio station licenses.
As a result, 11 opinions were submitted. Accordingly, MIC has decided to open the opinion to the public with MIC’s view on the opinion.
With consideration of the results of the appeal for opinions, MIC submitted an inquiry about the drafted partial revision of the ministerial ordinance, etc. to the Radio Regulatory Council (Chaired by YOSHIDA Susumu, Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University). In response to the inquiry, MIC has today received a report stating its approval as drafted.
Following the results of the appeal for opinions and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council, MIC will promptly make institutional development for the ministerial ordinance, etc.

1. Background

In the recommendations made in June this year, the Beyond 5G Promotion Strategy Roundtable stated that the procedures for obtaining and changing experimental radio station licenses should be relaxed. Furthermore, according to the recommendations, prompt measures should be taken in sequence from those possible to promote technological development for Beyond 5G. In response to the recommendations, MIC made the appeal for opinions from Tuesday, September 15 through Friday, October 16, 2020, on the drafted ministerial ordinance, etc., for partial revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act to simplify the procedures for obtaining experimental radio station licenses. The main revisions are specified below.

• 1.
  Applying a simplified license procedure (with the omission of preliminary license and inspection procedures) to experimental radio stations using radio equipment bearing conformity markings (excluding those for outer space radio communication).
• 2.
  Eliminating the lower limit of the allowable deviation of antenna power in the technical standards of experimental radio stations
• 3.
  Making it possible to omit the inspection items of comprehensive tests conducted by the business operators, such as registered inspectors, on experimental radio stations (excluding those for outer space radio communication).
• 4.
  Expanding frequencies above the millimeter-wave band for the uses of specified experimental stations.

2. Results of appeal for opinions

The published material is in Japanese only.

3. Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

With consideration of the results of the appeal for opinions, MIC submitted an inquiry about the drafted partial revision of the ministerial ordinance, etc. to the Radio Regulatory Council. In response to the inquiry, MIC has today received a report stating its approval as drafted.

4. Future plans

Following the results of the appeal for opinions and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council, MIC will promptly make institutional development for the ministerial ordinance, etc.