June 17, 2020 Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance and Notices for Partial Revisions to Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment

Technical requirements for upgrading

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) drafted a ministerial ordinance and notices for partial revisions to the Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment. These revisions will upgrade 920MHz band active low-power wireless system to meet new needs for usage.
Accordingly, MIC will make an appeal for opinions from Thursday, June 18 through Friday, July 17, 2020, on the draft ministerial ordinance and notices.

1. Background

A current institutional system stipulates that the 920 MHz band active low-power wireless system requires a carrier sense function as a frequency sharing method, except for that used for specific low-power wireless stations of 1 mW or less used in remote controllers.
The carrier sense function is a feature that stops radio wave emissions from the system for a certain period when radio waves of the same frequency as the frequency of its transmission is received. However, the establishment of technical standards is in demand for systems that do not require the carrier sense function. This demand is made from the viewpoints of responding to new needs for usage (e.g., the use of power-saving emergency communication systems if mobile phone lines cannot be used). Furthermore, the demand is made from the viewpoints of the harmonization of the system with wireless systems of the same type in other countries and a reduction in manufacturing costs.
For this reason, in May 2019, the Land Radiocommunication Subcommittee under the Department on Information and Communications Technology of the Information and Communications Council began studying the technical requirements for the 920 MHz band active low-power wireless system that does not require the carrier sense function. On January 21, 2020, MIC received a partial report from the Information and Communications Council.
With consideration of the content of the report, MIC drafted the ministerial ordinance and notices for partial revisions to the Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment. These drafts are for the introduction of the 920 MHz band active low-power wireless system that does not require a carrier sense function. Accordingly, MIC has decided to make an appeal for opinions from Thursday, June 18 through Friday, July 17, 2020, on the draft ministerial ordinance and notices.

2. Procedure of appeal for opinions

1. Subject (The material is in Japanese only.)

Draft ministerial ordinance

  • 1.
    Draft ministerial ordinance for partial revisions to Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment

Draft notices

  • 1.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 42 of 1989) to Define the Use, Modulation Type, Frequencies, and Antenna Power of Specified Low-power Radio Stations
  • 2.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice ( MIC Notice No. 264 of 2019) to establish conditions to be separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications based on the provisions of Article 6-2-4 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act.
  • 3.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 49 of 1989) to define the technical requirements for equipment that does not need to be housed in the casing of radio equipment, transmission time-limiting equipment, and a carrier sense function
  • 4.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MIC Notice No. 31 of 2019) in which the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications separately specifies radio equipment based on Article 14-2, Paragraph 1, item (ii) and item (iii) and Paragraph 2, item (ii) and item (iii) of the Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment
  • 5.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 72 of 1994) to define terminal equipment that uses radio waves and does not refuse connection requests from users
  • 6.
    Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 424) to specify the conditions of identification codes based on the provisions of the Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Terminal Facilities etc.)

2. Submission period

From Thursday, June 18 through Friday, July 17, 2020

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 ordinances, 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 Land Mobile Communications Division under the Radio Department of MIC’s Telecommunications Bureau (Central Gov’t Building No. 2 10F). It will also be posted on the public comment page of the e-Gov (https://www.e-gov.go.jp Open a new window).

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

International Policy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

TEL: +81 3 5253 5920

FAX: +81 3 5253 5924