December 23, 2025 Results of the Opinion Solicitation on the Draft Directive Partially Amending the Examination Standards Related to the Radio Act (hereinafter the "Draft Directive")

- Expanding the Scope of Radio Station Licensees for 700 MHz Band ITS Communications

　To ensure a communications environment that supports the realization of automated driving, it is necessary to expand the scope of radio station licensees for 700 MHz band ITS communications. To this end, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) prepared the Draft Directive to partially amend the Examination Standards Related to the Radio Act and solicited opinions from Thursday, November 6, 2025, to Friday, December 5, 2025.
　As a result, a total of 21 opinions were submitted. The submitted opinions, the MIC’s position on them, and the directive amended in response to the results of the opinion solicitation will be made publicly available.

Note: The published materials are in Japanese only.

1. Background and outline

　In Japan, ITS communications using 700 MHz band radio waves have been introduced to support safe and comfortable driving through car-to-car and car-to-road communications, and are already being installed in general-purpose vehicles, ambulances, and other vehicles.

　When the system was first introduced, the radio stations installed on roads were assumed to be installed and operated by the National Police Agency. Under the current Examination Standards Related to the Radio Act (MIC Directive No. 67 of 2001), the National Police Agency is designated as the sole licensee of the relevant radio stations.

　In recent years, there has been an urgent need to address the realization of automated driving, and relevant ministries and agencies, including the National Police Agency, have been studying this matter. Based on the status of these studies, as well as the needs and initiatives of private operators, it was decided, from the perspective of efficient spectrum utilization, to promote the effective use of ITS communications using the 700 MHz band through the participation of various entities.

　In light of these circumstances, the MIC prepared the Draft Directive to expand the scope of radio station licensees for 700 MHz band ITS communications, with the aim of ensuring a communications environment that supports the realization of automated driving. The MIC solicited opinions on the Draft Directive from Thursday, November 6, 2025, to Friday, December 5, 2025.

2. How to obtain materials

　The published materials will also be posted in the "Public Comments" section in a separate window on the e-Gov website (https://www.e-gov.go.jp).