May 29, 2020 Appel for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance for Partial Revision of Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Pertinent Notices

  The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) drafted a ministerial ordinance to revise part of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and several notices, including the establishment of a new notice, for the upgrading of 5th generation mobile communications systems (5G) and broadband wireless access systems (BWA). MIC expects that this partial revision etc. will achieve wide area coverage of 5G and accelerate the utilization of 5G in various industries.
  In this connection, MIC will make an appeal for opinions from Saturday, May 20 through Monday, June 29, 2020, on the drafted revision.

1. Background and outline of revision

The fourth-generation mobile communications systems (4G) and BWA use frequencies lower than those assigned in April 2019 to 5G, and there has been an increasing need to use these frequencies for 5G and BWA compatible with 5G to build wide 5G areas for securing mobility.
Against this background, the Information and Communications Council started deliberating on 5G from December 2018 to formulate technical conditions for introducing 5G to the current frequency bands of 4G, along with technical conditions for introducing BWA systems compatible with 5G. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications received a partial report on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, from the Information and Communications Council.
With consideration of the report, MIC drafted the ministerial ordinance to revise part of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and the notices to make required institutional development that will enable the introduction of the current frequency bands of 4G to 5G, along with the introduction of BWA systems compatible with 5G.

2. Procedure of appeal for opinions

1. Subjects

〈Draft ministerial ordinance〉

• 1.
  Draft Ministerial Ordinance for Partial Revision of Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Pertinent Notices
  

〈Draft notices〉

• 2.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MPT Notice No. 395 of 1986 (Matters that determine the characteristics of receiving equipment applied to the examination of applications for radio stations for land mobile services, radio stations for mobile services, simple radio stations, and local radio stations)
• 3.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MPT Notice No. 407 of 1993 (Matters that define conformity indication wireless equipment that can omit part of the description of construction design documents)
• 4.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 344 of 2003 (Matters that determine the fact that the radio equipment of a foreign radio station conforms to the technical standards equivalent to the technical standards specified in Chapter III of the Radio Act)
• 5.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 278 of 2011 (Matters that determine a method of conducting inspections, such as registration inspections, performed by registered inspectors, and a method of confirming specific tests for comprehensive testing of wireless equipment, based on the provisions of Article 17 and Appendix 3-5-3 (2) of the Regulations for Registered Inspectors)
• 6.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 279 of 2011 (Matters that determine a method of conducting inspections, such as registration inspections, performed by registered inspectors, and a method of confirming specific tests for comprehensive testing of wireless equipment, based on the provisions of Article 20 and Appendix 7-3-3 (2) of the Regulations for Registered Inspectors)
• 7.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 435 of 2012 (Matters that determine technical conditions of wireless equipment of radio stations using broadband mobile wireless access systems)
• 8.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 356 of 2018 (Matters that determine codes (excluding the purpose codes and the communications item codes of radio stations) used in the description of each field of the radio station information sheet attached to each radio station license application)
• 9.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 23 of 2019 (Matters that determine the technical conditions of radio stations that perform mobile radio communication using single-carrier frequency-division multiple-access or orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access systems)
• 10.
  Draft notice that defines technical conditions of transmission equipment of a frequency division duplex system for radio stations that perform mobile radio communication using single-carrier-frequency-division multiple-access or orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access systems.

2. Procedure of appeal for opinions

Reference (https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000690127.pdf )

3. Period of submission

From Saturday, May 30, and no later than Monday, June 29, 2020 (Submission of opinions by mail must also arrive no later than the deadline date.)

3. Future plans

With consideration of the results of opinions submitted, MIC will consult with the Radio Regulatory Council, and promptly proceed with necessary procedures for the revision of the ministerial ordinance, etc. when MIC receives a report from the Radio Regulatory Council.

4. Method for obtaining references

Reference information will be available for viewing and obtaining copies at the MIC’s contact window (Land Mobile Communications Division, Radio Department, Telecommunications Bureau). It will also be posted on the public comment page of the e-Gov (https://www.e-gov.go.jp ).