August 31, 2020 Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance, Notices, and Directive for Partial Revisions to Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Pertinent Notices, etc.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) drafted revisions to Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and Notices, etc. for institutional development concerning digital cordless phones. Accordingly, MIC will make an appeal for opinions on the drafts from Tuesday, September 1 through Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

1. Background and overview

In 2017, Time Division duplex Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) systems (5 MHz or 1.4 MHz systems) were institutionalized for radio stations for 1.9-GHz band license-free digital cordless telephones. Since then, efforts have been accelerated toward the start of commercial services, including trials using actual devices for the 5-MHz system that can use widespread mobile phone terminals as extension units.
On the other hand, there is only one carrier frequency available to the 5 MHz system. Therefore, there is a concern that the carrier may detect the control carrier of a private PHS system, and the main unit may stop operating in a place close to the private PHS system. Therefore, an expansion of frequencies available is necessary to ensure multi-wave operational availability and expand the use of frequencies for IP multimedia services.
Therefore, the Land Radiocommunication Subcommittee (Chief Investigator: Makoto Ando, professor emeritus at the Tokyo Institute of Technology) of the Department on Information and Communications Technology under the Information and Communications Council studied technical conditions for the further practical use of the 1.9-GHz band in the TD-LTE method, and MIC received a partial report of the Subcommittee through the Information and Communications Council (chaired by UCHIYAMADA Takeshi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation.
With consideration of the contents of the report, MIC drafted the revisions to the Ministerial Ordinance, Notices, and Directive for partial revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and pertinent Notices for the expansion of TD-LTE frequencies in the 1.9-GHz band.

2. Subjects and Procedures regarding appeal for opinions

1. Subjects

Draft ministerial ordinance

• 1.
  Draft ministerial ordinance for partial revisions to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act

Draft notice

• 1.
  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
• 2.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 424 of 1994) to specify the conditions of identification codes based on the provisions of the Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Terminal Facilities etc.)
• 3.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 427 of 2012) to specify the types and applications of radio waves used by radio stations for digital cordless telephones and PHS land mobile stations based on the provisions of Article 6, Paragraph 4, items 5 and 6 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act, and frequencies that PHS land mobile stations shall not use
• 4.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 294 of 2017) that specifies technical requirements for radio equipment of radio stations for narrow-band cordless telephones with time-division multiple access, based on the provisions of Article 49-8-2, Paragraph 1, item 1 (i) of the Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment
• 5.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MPT Notice No. 263 of 2019) to establish conditions to be separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in conformity with the technical requirements stipulated in Chapter 3 of the Radio Act as per Article 4-2, Paragraph 2, based on the provisions of Article 4-2, Paragraph 7 of the Act.
• 6.
  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
• 7.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice (MIC Notice No. 266 of 2019) to establish conditions to be separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in conformity with the technical requirements in conformity with those stipulated in Article 52, Paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act
• 8.
  Draft notice that partially revises the Notice on the Frequency Assignment Plan (MIC Notice No. 471 of 2012)

Directive

• 1.
  Draft directive that partially revises the Examination Standards related to the Radio Act (MIC Directive No. 67 of 2001)

The outline of the proposed revisions is published in Japanese only.

2. Submission period

From Tuesday, September 1 and no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2020

3. Future plans

With consideration of the result of the appeal for opinions, MIC will send an inquiry to the Radio Regulatory Council, and promptly revise the Ministerial Ordinance, etc. upon receipt of a report from the Radio Regulatory Council.

4. Method for obtaining reference information

MIC will also post reference information on the public comment page of the e-Gov (https://www.e-gov.go.jp/en/ ).