the status of compliance with regulations by NTT East and NTT West were published based on this system. Starting in the March 2012, in the “Wireless LAN Business Research Society,” the MIC sorted out the current situation of wireless LAN, and it also identified and sorted out issues concerning safe and secure use and dissemination and put together a report in July 2012.

Moreover, regarding the public wireless LAN service business, which provides various services and into which more business operators are expected to enter, the MIC formulated the “guideline for the wireless LAN business,” which specified the matters to which attention should be paid in operating service businesses, and published it in June 2013.

## (2) Promotion of IPv6

In the “Study Group on Advanced Use of Internet with IPv6,” the MIC investigated policies and issues concerning the status of IPv6 compatibility, and put together and published its “Third Report” in December 2011.

In addition, the MIC reviewed the progress status of efforts to resolve various issues pointed out in the re-

### 2. Development of broadcasting policy

(1) Development of broadcasting policy after a shift to terrestrial digital broadcasting

### a. Promotion of distribution of broadcast content

In order to conduct a study on how to secure overseas platforms for overseas distribution of content and how to improve the efficiency of rights processing, the MIC held meetings of the “Study Group on Measures for Promotion of Circulation of Broadcast Content” starting in November 2012 and put together a report in June 2013.

### b. Advancement of broadcast service

As the Information and Communications Council presented proposals concerning “4K and 8K (super-high-vision),” “smart TV,” and “cable platform” in July 2012, the MIC held meetings of the “Study Group on Advancement of Broadcast Service,” starting in November 2012, in order to put them into practice and put together a report in May 2013.

### c. Various Issues concerning broadcasting policy

Starting in November 2012, the Research Society for

### 3. Development of radio policy

## (1) Overview of radio policy

### a. Promotion of effective use of radio spectrum

Starting in April 2012, the MIC held meetings of the “Study Group on Promotion of Effective Use of Radio Spectrum” amid the rapid tightening of the supply of frequencies due to the development of wireless broadband. The study group conducted a study on flexible review of regulation in response to changes in the environment for radio wave usage, promotion of effective use of radio waves from the perspective of users and use of radio wave usage fees, and put together a report in December port and conducted a study on the basic idea for future actions (default provision of IPv6 Internet connection service, cooperation between business operators to resolve the issues early, etc.) and put together and published the “Third Progress Report” in July 2012.

## (3) Development of a fair competition environment

### a. Assessment of competition conditions in the telecommunications sector

In order to correctly ascertain the status of competition in the increasingly complex telecommunications sector and reflect this understanding in government policy, the MIC has been issuing the annual Competition Assessment of the Telecommunications Industry since FY2003.

The MIC determined and published the “Implementation Items for 2012” in December 2012 and defined BWA and LTE, for which the number of subscriptions is increasing substantially, as part of the mobile communications market (ultra-high-speed mobile broadband market).

Survey on Broadcasting Policy held meetings and conducted a study on (1) international broadcasting and (2) designated broadcast holding companies, regarding which it was required that a study be conducted five years after the entry-into-force of the Act to partially Amend the Broadcast Act.

### d. Strengthening disaster resilience of broadcast network

While the effectiveness of radio broadcast in the event of a disaster was strongly recognized after the Great East Japan Earthquake, it also became clear that it is necessary to take disaster management measures regarding transmission stations of medium frequency waves (AM radio) located in low lands and waterfront areas.

In light of this situation, the MIC held meetings of the “Study Group on Enhancement of Broadcasting Networks” starting in February 2013 and conducted a study on strengthening the disaster resilience of broadcast networks among other issues.

of the same year.

In light of the findings of the study group, the MIC submitted a bill to partially amend the Radio Act to the Diet to partially subsidize the cost of the digitalization of radio communications for disaster prevention and administration and radio communications for firefighting and emergency rescue, which play an important role in municipalities' grasp of the disaster damage status as well as emergency aid and rescue activities and which use the 150MHz and 400MHz bands, and their shift to the 260MHz band. The amended act was put into force in