November 14, 2025 Results of the Opinion Solicitation on the Draft Directive Partially Amending the Examination Standards Related to the Radio Act (hereinafter the "Draft Directive")

- Amendments to the Examination Standards for the Designation of Radio Propagation Blockage Prevented Areas over Bodies of Water -

　To protect important radio communications over bodies of water, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) prepared the Draft Directive (MIC Directive No. 67 of 2001) and solicited opinions from Saturday, September 13, 2025, to Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
　As a result, four opinions were submitted. The submitted opinions together with the MIC's position on them were made publicly available.

Note: The published materials are in Japanese only.

Background
　The System for the Prevention of Radio Propagation Blockage allows the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications to designate specific areas—called radio propagation blockage prevented areas—for radio communications used in telecommunications services, the protection of lives or property, and the maintenance of public peace and order. The system is designed to prevent communication disruptions caused by the construction of high-rise buildings within these designated areas. Specific criteria and other rules for the designation of radio propagation blockage prevented areas are stipulated in the Examination Standards Related to the Radio Act.
　In recent years, a number of offshore wind power generation facilities and other structures built over bodies of water have increased, raising the risk of communication blockages across bodies of water. To address this issue, the Radio Act was partially amended by Act No. 27 of 2025 in April 2025. This amendment now allows bodies of water, in addition to existing land areas, to be designated as radio propagation blockage prevented areas.
　In response to this amendment, it is necessary to properly designate radio propagation blockage prevented areas, while balancing the promotion of offshore wind power generation with the need to secure important radio communications over bodies of water. To this end, we prepared the Draft Directive.