November 1, 2024 Results of the Solicitation for Opinions on the Draft Revision of the “Verification Guideline for the Relationship between Interconnection Charges, etc. and User Charges in the area of Mobile Communications” (hereinafter referred to as the “Verification Guideline”), Publication of the Verification Guideline, and Requests for Implementation of the Verification of the Relationship between Interconnection Charges, etc., and User Charges.

 The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) solicited opinions on the draft revision of the Verification Guideline from Friday, September 13, 2024, to Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
 As a result, six opinions were submitted.
 MIC has requested the following parties to conduct verification regarding the relationship between interconnection charges, etc., and user charges in accordance with the Verification Guideline: NTT DOCOMO, INC. (headed by MAEDA Yoshiaki), KDDI Corporation (headed by TAKAHASHI Makoto), Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company (headed by MIYAKURA Yasuaki), and SoftBank Corp. (headed by MIYAKAWA Junichi).

1. Background

 In Category II designated telecommunications facilities systems, a stack test is conducted to verify whether the relationship between interconnection charges, etc., and user charges will not cause unfair competition due to price squeezes and to adjust the relationship between them and take appropriate measures according to the results of the test.
 MIC held discussions at the Study Group on Calculation of Interconnection Charges, etc., * on how to implement the stack test, and published the "Eighth Report from the Study Group on Calculation of Interconnection Charges, etc." on September 12, 2024.
 In light of this, MIC prepared a draft revision of the Verification Guideline (established in November 2022), which set the basic method for stack test in the area of mobile communications. MIC solicited opinions on the draft revision from Friday, September 13, 2024, to Tuesday, October 15, 2024. In response, six opinions were submitted.
 Based on the results of the opinion solicitation, MIC revised the Verification Guideline and requested NTT DOCOMO, INC., KDDI Corporation, Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company, and SoftBank Corp. to conduct verification on the relationship between interconnection charges, etc., and user charges in accordance with the revised Guideline.
 * The name was changed from the Study Group on Calculation of Interconnection Charges in December 2019.

2. How to obtain materials

 The materials will be available for inspection and distribution at the Tariff and Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Telecommunications Business Department, Telecommunications Bureau, MIC (10th floor, Chuo Godo Chosha Building No. 2).