August 19, 2020 Appel for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance for Partial Revision of Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will make an appeal for opinions from Thursday, August 20 through Friday, September 18, 2020, on a draft ministerial ordinance, notices, and official directive. The ministerial ordinance etc. will partially revise the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act for institutional development to introduce an L-band safety communications system.

1. Overview

Satellite operators are planning to use an existing L-band mobile satellite communications system with a constellation of non-geostationary satellites and upgrade the existing satellites and utilize them for aircraft safety communications. In this connection, the Satellite Communications System Subcommittee (Chief Investigator: ANDO Makoto, Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology) under the Information and Communications Council has been studying the technical requirements for the sophistication of the system since May 2017. As a result of the study, MIC received a partial report from the Information and Communications Council (Chaired by UCHIYAMADA Takeshi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation) on February 13, 2019.
Furthermore, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved the system as the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) to conduct ship distress communications, and its frequencies were designated at the 2019 World Radio Communication Conference (WRC-19).
Accordingly, MIC has decided to make this appeal for opinions on the drafted ministerial ordinance, etc. to partially revise the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act for institutional development for the introduction of the advanced system to ensure the safe communication of ships and aircraft, as part of the GMDSS.

2. Period of submission

From Thursday, August 20, 2020, and no later than Friday, September 18, 2020 (Submission of opinions by mail must also arrive no later than the deadline date.)

3. Future plans

With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions and the report from the Council, MIC will promptly revise the ministerial ordinance, etc.

4. Method for obtaining references

Reference information will be posted on the public comment page of the e-Gov. (https://www.e-gov.go.jp/en/ ).