March 27, 2020 Announcement of Results of Appeal for Opinions and Guidelines Concerning the Draft Guidelines for the Application of the Telecommunications Business Act for the Provision of Zero-rating Services and Draft Revisions for Guidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) decided to make an appeal for opinions from Friday, January 17, through to Saturday, February 15, 2020, on the Draft Guidelines for the Application of the Telecommunications Business Act for the Provision of Zero-rating Services, and a draft revision ofGuidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act.

1. Background

In light of discussions by the Working Group on Rules for Zero-rating Services (Chief Investigator Hiroshi Ohashi, Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy and Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo), MIC made an appeal for opinions concerning occasions when telecommunications carriers provide zero-rating services, and in order to summarize a specific approach and examples for the application of related laws and regulations and the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 86 of 1984).

1. 1.
   Draft Guidelines for the Application of the Telecommunications Business Act for the Provision of Zero-rating Services
2. 2.
   Draft Revision of Guidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act

Regarding which, as the result of an appeal for opinions from Friday, January 17, through to Saturday, February 15, 2020, MIC received a total of 22 opinions.
Taking into account these opinions, and the discussions of the 7th meeting of the working group (held on Monday, March 16, 2020), MIC will formulate the Guidelines Concerning the Application of the Telecommunications Business Act Pertaining to the Provision of Zero-rating Services, and revise the Guidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act in view of its relation of the contents of the new guidelines.

2. Results of appeal for opinions and Guidelines

• MIC’s approach to opinions submitted from Friday, January 17, through to Saturday, February 15, 2020
• Guidelines Concerning the Application of the Telecommunications Business Act Pertaining to the Provision of Zero-rating Services
• Revised guidelines for Guidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act
• Revised guidelines for Guidelines Concerning Consumer Protection Rules of the Telecommunications Business Act (amended parts are highlighted)
  Reference information on the report can be viewed, and copies handed out, at the Computer Communications Division of the Telecommunications Business Department, Telecommunications Bureau, MIC (10th floor of the MIC building). In addition, it is also listed on the e-Government website ‘Public Comments’ (https://www.e-gov.go.jp/ ).