April 24, 2020 Result of Public Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance, etc. for Partial Revisions to Essential Standards for Establishing Radio Stations other than Broadcast Stations and Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) drafted a ministerial ordinance and notices, which will partially revise the Essential Standards for Establishing Radio Stations other than Broadcast Stations. These revisions will allow the use of mobile phone deterrent devices that have been introduced for experimental test stations since 1998 and expanding the coverage of base stations and land mobile relay stations in times of disaster. In this connection, MIC made an appeal for opinions from Saturday, March 7 through Monday, April 6, 2020, and received six opinions.
These opinions and the MIC’s views thereon are announced here.
With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions, MIC submitted today an inquiry to the Radio Regulatory Council (Chaired by Susumu Yoshida, Specially Appointed Professor, Kyoto University) on the draft ministerial ordinance, etc. MIC received by return a report from the Radio Regulatory Council stating its approval as inquired.
MIC will promptly develop the relevant regulations based on the results of the appeal for opinions and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council.

1. Background and outline of the revision

1. Use of mobile phone deterrent devices for practical stations

Mobile phone deterrent devices have been introduced as experimental test stations since 1998 to prevent the inconvenience caused by ringtones from mobile phones in concert halls. The report of the Growth Strategy Roundtable Meeting on Effective Use of Radio Waves compiled in August 2018 indicated the idea of promoting the use of mobile phone deterrent devices for practical stations.
With consideration of these results, MIC will make the institutional development of related regulations concerning establishment conditions and operation rules of which users should be informed, which will put mobile phone deterrence devices into practical use as radio stations.

2. Expansion of base stations and land mobile relay stations for natural disasters

The above will permit the temporary establishment and operation of base stations and land mobile relay stations to be mounted on ships or moored drones with an automatic position holding function in the event of damage to mobile phones and other infrastructure due to natural disasters.

MIC has therefore drafted a ministerial ordinance and notices that partially revise the Essential Standards for Establishing Radio Stations other than Broadcast Stations and make an appeal for opinions on them from Saturday, March 7 through Monday, April 6, 2020.

2. Result of appeal for opinions

The submitted opinions and MIC’s views on the opinions are posted at the following site:
(https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000684880.pdf )

3. Report from Radio Regulatory Council

With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions, MIC submitted today an inquiry to the Radio Regulatory Council on the partial revision of the Essential Standards for Establishing Radio Stations other than Broadcast Stations based on the Radio Act (Act No. 131 of 1950).
MIC received by return a report from the Radio Regulatory Council stating its approval as inquired.

4. Future plans

MIC will promptly make institutional development for relevant regulations based on the result of opinions submitted and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council.