posed by NTT DoCoMo and soon removed, and none imposed by other carriers. Meanwhile, NTT East Japan landline phones did not see a rise in traffic like that of mobile phones, and restrictions were removed relatively quickly.

### 2. Efforts to secure means of communication

## (1) Emergency message services

Telecommunications carriers provided various services over landline phones, mobile phones and the Internet, including Disaster Emergency Message Dial 171, disaster message boards, and broadband disaster message boards (Web171), allowing people to check on the wellbeing of relatives and friends or make contact with evacuation areas smoothly, without being affected by network congestion or service disruptions.

## (2) Specially installed public phones, etc

NTT East and West Japan installed approximately 2,300 free public phones in evacuation areas, making use of portable satellite equipment, in order to ensure viable means of communication. Also, immediately after the quake, NTT East made public phone service free throughout the six prefectures of the Tohoku region, afterwards expanding free service to the entirety of East Japan.

## (3) The contribution of satellite-based mobile phones

As described in 1, the Great East Japan Earthquake caused ruinous damage to the landline and mobile phone networks, meaning that satellite-based telecommunications, which are not easily affected by earthquakes, had a considerable role to play. MIC lent approximately 340 satellite-based mobile phones in response to requests from local governments etc.

## (4) The contribution of mobile telecommunications equipment

MIC lent approximately 1,770 pieces of mobile MCA (multi-channel access) radio and simple radio equipment free of charge in response to requests from local governments etc.

## (5) The role of amateur radio

On March 12, MIC requested the cooperation of the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) in securing communications in the aftermath of the disaster. The JARL helped with emergency communications and gathering of information from evacuation areas. It also lent 300 pieces of amateur radio equipment for use in the affected areas.

## (6) Free Internet connections at evacuation areas

Telecommunications carriers provided special, free Internet connections at evacuation areas.

### 3. Earthquake Early Warnings

Immediately after an earthquake, Earthquake Early Warnings analyze data from seismographs near the epicenter, instantaneously estimate the epicenter location and scale (magnitude) of the quake, and predict when the primary force of the quake will strike each region and with what seismic intensity, providing forecasts and warnings with the greatest possible speed. After the March 11 quake, Earthquake Early Warnings from the Meteorological Agency were broadcast on TV and radio and transmitted via mobile phones, etc.

### 4. Support for recovery and relief efforts

The first FY2011 supplementary budget proposal came before the Diet on April 28, 2011, and passed on May 2. It includes budgetary measures for necessary recovery and relief efforts in the near future, including the restoration of ICT infrastructure which suffered severe damage in the unprecedented devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

## Section 2

## Status of Broadcastings

It has been pointed out in the past that in the event of a disaster, broadcast media that can provide information rapidly utilizing the characteristics of non-congestion prone broadcasting are an effective means of providing information. In the March 11 earthquake, the broadcast infrastructure itself was seriously affected, but even so local broadcasters, etc. made the utmost efforts to provide local residents with the necessary information.

### 1. Terrestrial TV broadcasting

While terrestrial TV broadcast master stations were not affected by the quake, operations were suspended at up to 120 satellite stations in 11 prefectures, including the six prefectures of the Tohoku region, due to disruption of the power supply and other factors (two of the stations were damaged and the other 118 experienced electrical blackouts.)

Under these circumstances, NHK and local broadcasters interrupted normal broadcasts to provide disaster-related information.

Broadcasting was done with one-seg as well. One-seg broadcasts were a highly valuable means of transmitting information, as they can be viewed easily on portable devices such as mobile phones.