June 24, 2022 Solicitation of Opinions on Draft Revisions to the Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has prepared draft revisions to the Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field.
Accordingly, MIC will solicit opinions on the draft revisions from Saturday, June 25 through Monday, July 25, 2022.

1. Overview

In developing the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications system, it is important to promote "infrastructure sharing" in which mobile communications carriers have others use their equipment, such as steel towers, or make shared use of such equipment among multiple carriers. The Infrastructure Plan for Digital Garden City Nation (published on March 29, 2022) also states that, in order to push forward development of 5G base stations utilizing infrastructure sharing, "the 'Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field' will be revised by the end of FY2022 toward developing rules on infrastructure sharing between mobile phone carriers and infrastructure sharing business operators."
Therefore, toward developing rules on infrastructure sharing between mobile phone carriers and infrastructure sharing business operators, MIC prepared draft revisions to the Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field in order to further clarify the application relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 86 of 1984) and the Radio Act (Act No. 131 of 1950).

2. Regarding solicitation of opinions

1. Subject of solicitation of opinions

Draft revisions to the Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field

2. Deadline for submission of opinions

From Saturday, June 25 through Monday, July 25, 2022
(Opinions by postal mail that arrive after the deadline will be accepted if postmarked on or before July 25, 2022)

3. Future schedule

MIC will promptly revise the Guidelines on Application Relationships of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Radio Act concerning Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Communications Field based on the submitted opinions.

4. How to obtain reference information

MIC will make the reference information of Attachments 1 and 2 available for viewing and obtaining copies at the Land Mobile Communications Division, Radio Department, Telecommunications Bureau, MIC (10th Floor, MIC). The reference information will also be posted on the public comment page of the e-Gov (https://www.e-gov.go.jp/en/ ).

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