May 27, 2022 Solicitation of Opinions on Partial Revisions to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan, etc.

The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications has today made an inquiry to the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council on "Regarding Partial Revisions to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan." Accordingly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will solicit opinions on its draft public notice, etc. from Saturday, May 28 through Monday, June 27, 2022.

1. Outline of revisions

Based on the report of the Information and Communication Council, "Ideal state of telecommunications number system to create diversified services in digital society," dated December 8, 2021, and other materials, the Telecommunications Numbering Plan (MIC Notice No. 6 of 2019) and related systems will be revised for taking measures such as institutionalizing rules for providing telephone numbers and call forwarding services, toward improvement of various issues concerning telephone numbers and call forwarding services and sound development of the industry.

1. Revisions to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan

1. Establishment of rules for cases in which a telecommunications carrier provides user facility identification numbers (fixed telephone numbers, etc.)

A. Contract specifying wholesale telecommunications services

• The wholesale carrier is to check that the purchasing carrier has received approval for its telecommunications number usage plan.
• The purchasing carrier is to agree to observe the conditions for use of telecommunications numbers in a document concerning the wholesale contract.

B. Contract other than A. above (when the numbers are provided for the telecommunications business of the recipient)

• The provider is to require the recipient to observe the conditions for use of telecommunications numbers in the general conditions of contracts, etc.
• The recipient is to inform the provider that it will use the telecommunications numbers for its own telecommunications business and that it has received approval for its telecommunications number usage plan.

2. Others

• Review of the definition of call forwarding services
• Publication of the status of approval of telecommunications number usage plans, etc.

2. Amendment of the Regulation for Reporting on Telecommunications Business (MPT Order No. 46 of 1988)

A wholesale carrier is required to report the status of provision of wholesale telecommunications services, including whether it has checked the status of approval of the telecommunications number usage plan and whether agreement was made on observance of the conditions for use of telecommunications numbers with regard to each purchasing carrier.

2. Procedure of solicitation of opinions

1. Subjects of solicitation of opinions

• Regarding Partial Revisions to the Telecommunications Numbering Plan
• Ministerial Order Partially Amending the Regulation for Reporting on Telecommunications Business

2. Period for submission of opinions

From Saturday, May 28, to Monday, June 27, 2022
(Opinions by postal mail that arrive after the deadline will be accepted if postmarked on or before June 27, 2022.)

3. Future schedule

The opinions received will be reported to the Information and Communications and Posts Administrative Council to be used as a reference in the deliberations for preparing the report in response to the inquiry.

• *
  The published material is in Japanese only.