July 16, 2021 Appeal for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance and Pertinent Conditions for Partial Revisions to Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and Related Requirements

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) prepared a draft ministerial ordinance etc. for partial revisions to the Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and pertinent conditions to enable the use of 2.3 GHz band frequencies for mobile communications systems by sharing frequencies dynamically (dynamic frequency sharing), with consideration of the geographical and temporal operational status of existing systems.
In this connection, MIC will make an appeal for opinions from Saturday, July 17 through Friday, August 20, 2021, on the drafted revisions.

1. Background and outline of revisions

The number of subscribers to mobile communications systems, including mobile phones, in Japan is increasing year by year. New frequencies will need to be secured to respond to the mobile communication traffic expected to increase in the future. On the other hand, the tightness of frequencies, which are finite radio resources, is increasing. The more efficient use and shared use of frequencies will be indispensable for new frequency allocation.
In response to this situation, the Information and Communications Council deliberated on technical requirements for mobile communications systems in the 2.3 GHz band. This deliberation aimed to allocate 2.3 GHz band frequencies to mobile communications systems to complement frequency use in mobile phones by sharing frequencies dynamically (dynamic frequency sharing), considering the geographical and temporal operational status of conventional systems. In this connection, MIC has received a partial report today on the technical requirements on April 20, 2021.
Accordingly, MIC prepared the draft ministerial ordinance, etc., to partially revise the Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment and related conditions for necessary institutional development to introduce mobile communications systems in the 2.3 GHz band frequencies and make this appeal for opinions on the drafted revisions.

2. Procedure of public appeal for opinions etc.

1. Subject

Draft ministerial ordinance

• 1.
  Draft ministerial ordinance for the partial revision of the Radio Regulatory Commission Rules No. 18 of 1950 (Ministerial Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment) and Ministerial Ordinance of MPT No. 37 of 1981 (Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment)

Draft notice

• 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 of partial revision to MIC Notice No. 426 of 2012 (Matters that determine frequencies used by radio stations stipulated for in each item of Paragraph 8, Article 6 of the Radio Act)
• 4.
  Draft notice of partial revision of MIC Notice No. 338 of 2014 (Matters that determine technical requirements for transmitting equipment for radio stations that perform mobile radio communications using single-carrier frequency-division multiple-access and transmit radio waves at frequencies above 3.4 GHz but below 3.6 GHz, among those that use the frequency-division multiple-access and those that use the time-division multiple-access method)
• 5.
  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 and uses the time division multiple access method and the technical conditions of local 5G radio stations)
• 6.
  Draft notice to partially revise Frequency Assignment Plan (MIC Notice No. 411 of 2020)
• 7.
  Draft official directive to partially revise Examination Standards related to the Radio Act (MIC Official Directive No. 67 of 2001)

The main outline pertaining to the proposed revisions is published in Japanese only.

2. Procedure of public appeal for opinions

• *
  The published material is in Japanese only.

3. Submission period

From Saturday, July 17, and no later than Friday, August 20, 2021
(Opinions submitted by postal mail must also arrive no later than the deadline date.)

3. Future plans

MIC will promptly proceed with the necessary procedures, including the revision of related ministerial ordinance, etc., considering the result of the appeal for opinions subject to MIC’s inquiry to the Radio Regulatory Council and a report from the Radio Regulatory Council in response to the inquiry.