December 20, 2021 Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance, Notices, and Official Directive for Partial Revision of Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has drafted a ministerial ordinance and pertinent conditions to partially revise the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and make institutional development for the introduction of a Ku-band non-geostationary satellite communication system using a satellite constellation in a polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 1,200 km. Accordingly, MIC will make an appeal for opinions on the drafts from Tuesday, December 21, 2011 through Monday, January 24, 2022.

1. Overview

The practical use of small satellites has become relatively easy. This has made it possible to build a satellite constellation in which many small satellites launched into a medium or low orbit with short communication delays are linked and operated in an integrated manner to provide a variety of services, such as high-speed, high-capacity communications.
In response to this, a new communication service using a Ku-band non-geostationary satellite communication system will be launched using a satellite constellation in a polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 1,200 km. Since June 2017, the Satellite Communications System Subcommittee (Chief Investigator: ANDO Makoto, Professor emeritus of Tokyo Institute of Technology), Department on Information and Communications Technology, Information and Communications Council has been studying the technical conditions for introducing this service in Japan. In this connection, 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 September 28, 2021, as a result of its study.
Considering these circumstances, MIC has prepared a draft ministerial ordinance etc. for the partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and pertinent conditions to make institutional development for introducing the system in Japan. Accordingly, MIC has decided to appeal for opinions on the drafts.

2. Subject of appeal for opinions

• 1.
  Draft ministerial ordinance for the partial revision of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act
• 2.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MPT Notice No. 72 of 1994 (Defining terminal facilities that use radio waves and do not refuse connection requests from users)
• 3.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC notice No. 344 of 200３ (the case where the radio equipment of foreign radio stations conforms to the technical standards equivalent to those outlined in Chapter 3 of the Radio Act).
• 4.
  Draft notice for the partial revision of MIC Notice No. 102 of 2006 (the case where the provisions of Article 262-2 of the Regulations for Operating Radio Stations do not apply to the sea areas listed in the lower column of the table in Article 262-2)
• 5.
  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, based on relevant regulations, including the provisions of Appended Table 2, Item 1 of the Rules for Regulations for Procedure for Obtaining a Radio Station License)
• 6.
  Draft notice for matters to determine the allowable value of the intensity of unnecessary emissions from radio facilities and other conditions as stipulated in Article 24, Paragraph 34, and Appendix No. 3-69 of the Regulations for Operating Radio Stations.
• 7.
  Draft official directive for the partial revision of the Examination Standards related to the Radio Act

3. Procedure of appeal for opinions

• *
  The published material is in Japanese only.

4. Submission period

From Tuesday, December 21, 2021 and no later than Monday, January 24, 2022 (Opinions, if submitted by postal mail, will be accepted if postmarked the same day.)

5. Future plans

Considering the result of opinions received and a report from the Radio Regulatory Council, MIC will revise the relevant ministerial ordinance, notices, and official directive.