December 25, 2020 Release of Master Plan 3.0 on the Regional Development of ICT Infrastructure

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has revised its Master Plan 2.0 on the Regional Development of ICT Infrastructure (established in July 2020) and released Master Plan 3.0 on the Regional Development of ICT Infrastructure. Master Plan 3.0 will further accelerate the development of 5G base stations, aiming to develop more than 280,000 5G base stations (four times the initial establishment plan) by the end of 2023.

1. Background

With the arrival of the Society 5.0 era, it has become essential to solve regional issues using ICT infrastructure. Considering references in the past, including the report (June 25, 2019) of the Study Group on the Ideal Development of Mobile Phone Base Stations, in June 2019, MIC formulated the initial Master Plan on the Regional Development of ICT Infrastructure. This plan aimed to deploy ICT infrastructure nationwide as soon as possible by integrally and effectively utilizing development support to ICT infrastructure, including 5G and promotive measures for 5G utilization, hopefully by the end of fiscal 2023. Accordingly, MIC promoted various efforts.
Approximately one year after the formulation of the Master Plan, new initiatives made it possible to significantly accelerate a nationwide expansion of 5G base stations and optical fibers, in addition to measures based on the Master Plan. Therefore, MIC revised the Master Plan and released Master Plan 2.0 on the Regional Development of ICT Infrastructure on July 3, 2020.
Since December 15, 2020, while measures to block radio waves in Shinkansen tunnels have been in progress, mobile phones have become available in all tunnels in use (for a total length of 1,105 km). Furthermore, several mobile phone operators have announced plans to invest about two trillion yen each in the development of 5G base stations over the next ten years. Therefore, the acceleration of 5G services is further expected. To revise the development target as of the end of 2023 to match the current situation, MIC has further revised the Master Plan and released ICT Infrastructure Regional Development Master Plan 3.0. MIC will promptly promote the nationwide expansion of ICT infrastructure by steadily implementing ICT Infrastructure Regional Expansion Master Plan 3.0.

2. Overview of Master Plan 3.0

ICT Infrastructure Regional Development Master Plan 3.0 provides a roadmap that includes the items specified below, along with necessary measures.

• 1.
  Area development for disadvantaged areas (base station development)
• 2.

  Popularization of advanced services, such as 5G

• 3.
  Measures to block radio waves in railway and road tunnels
• 4.
  Promotion of optical fiber development