December 19, 2023 Results of Solicitation for Opinions on Draft Ministerial Ordinance, etc., to Partially Amend the Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act and Related Matters

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) solicited opinions from Friday, October 13 through Monday, November 13, 2023, on drafted amendments to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act, the Designation of Telecommunications Services under Article 26, Paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act, and the Guidelines for Consumer Protection Rules for the Telecommunications Business Act.
As a result, eight opinions were submitted, and the submitted opinions and the MIC’s views on them are now made public.
Based on the results of the solicitation for opinions, MIC has today promulgated the Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Designation of Telecommunications Services under Article 26, Paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act, and revised the Guidelines for Consumer Protection Rules for the Telecommunications Business Act.

1. Background

This matter is based on “2023 Report of Study Group on Consumer Protection Rules,” compiled as a result of discussions by the same study group (headed by Chief Investigator NIIMI Ikufumi, Professor Emeritus at Meiji University), to partially amend the Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act, the Designation of Telecommunications Services under Article 26, Paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act, and the Guidelines for Consumer Protection Rules for the Telecommunications Business Act.

2. Future plans

Based on the results of the solicitation for opinions, MIC has today promulgated the Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending Regulations for Enforcement of the Telecommunications Business Act and the Designation of Telecommunications Services under Article 26, Paragraph 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act, and revised the Guidelines for Consumer Protection Rules for the Telecommunications Business Act.
These amendments will come into effect on Monday, January 1, 2024.