January 11, 2024 Solicitation for Proposals related to New R&D Themes Contributing to Expansion of Radio Wave Resources

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) will solicit proposals as specified below from Friday, January 12 through Monday, March 11, 2024. MIC aims to utilize its results as basic data in selecting research and development (R&D) themes to be newly implemented from fiscal 2025 to expand radio wave resources.

1. Background and purpose

MIC is implementing R&D to expand radio resources to promote the effective use of radio waves. The purpose of the R&D is to alleviate the tight frequency situation due to an expansion of frequency demand caused by a recent increase in communications volume. Furthermore, R&D aims to respond to new frequency demands precisely.
The purpose of this solicitation is to seek proposals for new R&D themes that will expand radio resources and provide basic data for selecting the new R&D themes to be implemented from fiscal 2025.

2. Submission period

From Friday, January 12 through Monday, March 11, 2024

3. Proposal procedure

(1) Target
The R&D themes that MIC solicit this time should meet the following requirements (i. and ii.).
However, R&D themes overlapping with those already implemented, technologies that have already been developed and have no R&D elements, or combinations of these, are not eligible. For details of the R&D themes that have already been implemented, refer to MIC’s Radio Use Website (Research and Development for Expansion of Radio Wave Resources).
https://www.tele.soumu.go.jp/j/sys/fees/purpose/kenkyu/index.htm
The solicitation this time does not recruit R&D contractors.

i. R&D issues related to technologies that contribute to the effective use of radio waves ((a) Technologies that efficiently use frequencies, (b) Technologies that promote shared use of frequencies, and (c) Technologies that promote the transition to higher frequencies). For example, the following technologies are applicable.
(a) Technologies for efficient use of radio waves, such as the compression of currently used frequency bands
(b) Technologies that enable the joint use of new wireless systems under existing wireless systems
(c) Technologies to pioneer technical and economical use of high-frequency bands such as the high-microwave band, millimeter-wave band, and terahertz band and promote migration to these frequency bands
ii. R&D themes must be completed within approximately five years.

(2) Proposal method
There are no particular restrictions on the eligibility of proposals.
An applicant should fill out the attached form with the required information in Japanese and submit it by email mail by the deadline.
(Submission address)
Development Office, Radio Policy Division, Radio Department, Telecommunications Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Central Gov’t Building No. 2 10F, 2-1-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8926 Tel.: 03-5253-5876
Email: wireless-rd_atmark_ml.soumu.go.jp
*To prevent spam, @ is expressed as “_atmark_. “Change “_atmark_” to @ when you send an email.)
(Submission deadline)
No later than 5:00 pm on Monday, March 11, 2024

4. Handling of proposals

(1) The content of proposals submitted will be utilized as basic data for considering projects to be newly implemented from fiscal 2025 for R&D for Future Expansion of Radio Wave Resources. In this process, the relevant section may inquire about the content of your proposal.

(2) MIC will request the budget for the necessary amount for R&D theses decided to be given priority among those submitted after being examined by an assessment committee consisting of academic experts (around July 2024) to start the implementation of the R&D in fiscal 2025.

5. Others

MIC plans to make a public solicitation for contractors around March 2025 for the R&D themes to be implemented from fiscal 2025 based on this proposal.

*The published material is in Japanese only.