2023 MIC Minister’s New Year’s Greeting

Takeaki Matsumoto

Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications

Happy New Year's to you all. My name is Takeak i
MATSUMOTO, and I was appointed Minister for Internal
Affairs and Communications in November of last year.
Since assuming this post, I am reminded of the broad jurisdiction of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, administering many
important fields that form the core of our nation and support our citizen's
daily lives, including local economies, elections, fire fighting, information andcommunications, broadcasting, the postal system, public-sector evaluation, andstatistics.
As the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, I am preparedto put all of my effort into fulfilling my duty, working to implement ourpolicies for all citizens of Japan.
Supporting digital reform
The top priority policy of Prime Minister Kishida's cabinet is his"Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation," and the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and Communications will put all of our effort into realizing it, as theadministration for local administration and finance, and for information andcommunication.
To realize this “Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation” will requireconsolidation of regional digital infrastructure and DX of local governments.
To this end, we are completing integration of 5G networks in urban andregional areas, completing and maintaining regional fiber-optic networks,
distributing data centers in regional areas and completing fiber-optic
submarine cable networks.
We are also promoting a comprehensive technology strategy for “Beyond5G,” the next-generation information and communications infrastructure,utilizing funding from the National Institute of Information andCommunications Technology (NICT), which has been made permanent
through legislative amendments. This involves accelerating R&D and
implementation in society, promoting a comprehensive technology strategy
including obtaining intellectual property and international standardization,and promoting R&D on important advanced technologies such as quantum
communication, AI and space development.
Addressing internal and external environmental change
We are addressing internal and external changes in our businessenvironment with rapid technical innovation.
We are working to promote economic security and stability amid
rapidly changing international conditions in the field of information andcommunications, and also to strengthen our international competitiveness andhave deeper international cooperation. In particular, we are promoting “DataFree-Flow with Trust” (DFFT) through the G7 and the Internet Governance
Forum (IGF), which will be held in Japan this year, by building high-quality,
robust network infrastructure to support it, and by holding discussions toward
international cooperation promoting and maintaining a free and open internet.

We are also promoting cooperation with the ITU more than everbefore, as Japan's Dr. Seizo ONOE assumes the position of Director of theTelecommunication Standardization Bureau of the ITU in January thisyear. We are also promoting international expansion of the excellent MIC
technologies and services in areas including 5G, optical submarine cable,
broadcast content, postal services, fire fighting, administrative consulting, andstatistics.
The rapid changes in technical innovation and international circumstances
are also bringing great changes in business and user environments, resulting
in more new issues. In anticipation of this, we are asking the Information andCommunications Council to deliberate on directions that information andcommunications policy must take in Japan looking ten years in the future.
Considering the series of communications faults that occurred last year,
due to disasters and other causes, we are working to be able to introduce
roaming between operators as quickly as possible during disasters, so that
operators can utilize each other’s networks. As part of our comprehensive
measures in this area, we are also promoting means of communication otherthan roaming, such as using public Wi-Fi or devices with multiple SIMs.
We are also increasing support for cyber security measures, such as
personnel training and data analysis, considering the increased risk of damage
from cyber attacks last year. We are also promoting comprehensive measures
to deal with abuse and defamation on the internet and to streamline provisionof aid to victims through consistent application of the “Amended Act on theLimitation of Liability for Damages of Specified Telecommunications Service
Providers,” to promote efforts by platform operators to remove such content,
and by strengthening systems for education and consultation.
Considering the changes taking place in the broadcasting environment,such as viewers moving away from television and increasingly watching
video through the internet, we are also reexamining NHK and commercial
television’s broadcast systems as broadcasters in the digital age. It is important
for NHK to continue to fulfill its mission as a public broadcaster, according
to the demands of the age, and with that in mind, we are studying how theinternet should be utilized in our work.
Regarding use of mobile telephone frequencies, we are also studying how
the system for reallocating frequencies can operate smoothly, and how to secure
new bandwidth for mobile communications.
To continue providing useful public statistics in response to changes inthe economy and society, we have also bolstered our system for securing therequired personnel. We continue comprehensive quality management andpromotion of statistics reforms with measures such as personnel training anddigitalization.
Conclusion
Please allow me to conclude my New Year’s greeting by wishing you all
health and much happiness in the coming year!

New Breeze Winter 2023

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