MPHPT considering shift in radio spectrum policy

(2003.04.17)

The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT) of Japan revealed that it has been considering amendment of the Radio Law concerning usage of radio spectrum including 5GHz wireless LAN. By shifting the current licensing system for some frequency bands to the registration system, the MPHPT attempts to promote effective radio spectrum use.

This discussion covers not only wireless LAN, but also whole radio spectrums, as far as particular spectrum band is shared by several telecommunications carriers. Some radio spectrums, such as IEEE 802.11b that uses 2.4GHz band and is widely used as wireless LAN, can be used without licenses, but telecommunications carriers are required to obtain licenses if they want to use 5GHz band wireless LAN in the open air.

According to the MPHPT, this discussion covers the cases where different systems, such as a micro network and wireless LAN, use the same frequency band, as well as the cases such as 5GHz band wireless LAN, where different telecommunication carriers use the spectrum for the same purpose. This amendment aims to promote effective radio spectrum use and active business among telecommunication carriers by requiring no licenses to the telecommunication carriers that meet predefined standards. The ministry will ready procedures to cope with interferences and other issues afterwords..

The MPHPT will submit the amendment to the Study Group on Policies Concerning the Effective Radio Spectrum Use toward the end of April, and will discuss the details including screening standards for registration and concrete follow-up measures by summer. In addition, the radio spectrums that currently allocated to one telecommunication carrier, such as for TV broadcast and mobile phones, are not subject to this discussion.

URL
http://www.soumu.go.jp/


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