## Development and Promotion of Network Infrastructure

In October 2001 the MPHPT publicly released the National Broadband Initiative, which is aimed at a nation-wide dissemination of high-speed and ultra-high-speed Internet through clearly stating its schedule to realize its plan by fiscal 2005, the allocation of public and private sector roles, the projected actual usage of the broadband Internet access, and expected changes in social life.

In addition, the MPHPT consulted the Telecommunications Council in February 2001 on the role of Internet policies in the twenty-first century in order to develop early on a high-speed and low-cost yet safe Internet infrastructure which would become the foundation for an advanced information and communications network society. In July 2001 the MPHPT received an interim report in response to the above consultation with respect to both advances in Internet use and advances in the Internet base. Furthermore, the MPHPT hosted a study group on IP network technology in light of the rapid shift from the existing network that is based mainly on telephone lines to an IP network, and prepared a report in February 2002 on this subject. The ministry has also aggressively promoted third- as well as fourth-generation mobile communications systems, and data communications via radio access networks. In February 2002 the MPHPT revised the ministerial ordinance concerning 2.4 GHz and 25 GHz in order to introduce and upgrade wireless LAN. In addition, the MPHPT has promoted measures in connection with Internet governance, the further spread of ITS, and the rectification of differentials among regions in cell phone services and the broadcasting sector.

## Promotion of Advances in Broadcasting

The digitization of broadcasting leads to many merits for audiences and allows for a drastic saving in the number of frequencies used as compared to analog broadcasting, making it possible to respond to the need for new frequencies such as is required for mobile communications. A similar digitization of broadcasting has been promoted in a number of countries in the world including Japan, where digital broadcasting has already been launched in CS broadcasting, BS broadcasting, and cable TV. Meanwhile, the MPHPT allocated nearly ¥12.3 billion in its budget for fiscal 2001 followed by approx. ¥12.2 billion in its budget for fiscal 2002 to the necessary expenses that will be required to modify the frequencies of existing analog broadcasting (known as “analog-analog conversion”) as part of the shift towards the digitization of terrestrial television broadcasting. In order for the government to fund these expenses by means of radio utilization fees, the Radio Law was partially revised in July 2001.

## Convergence of Communications and Broadcasting

The need for new services that allow the convergence of communications and broadcasting has been on the rise, as digital broadcasting possesses a high affinity with the Internet, and it has become more and more easy to distribute the contents of digital broadcasting to various forms of media other than broadcasting by combining digital broadcasting with the Internet equipped with IPv6. The MPHPT submitted to the 151st session of the Diet a proposed law, which came into effect in November 2001, dealing with promoting technological development towards the convergence of communications and broadcasting, providing support for the developers of technology related to converging communications, and accommodating the promotion and acceleration of the development of services. In addition, in response to the progress being made in the convergence between transmission lines in communications and broadcasting, the MPHPT submitted to the 151st session the Laws Concerning Broadcast on Telecommunications Services, which came into effect in January 2002 and are aimed at systemizing that broadcasting which employs telecommunications services.