## Section 4 Development of an Affluent and Vital Ubiquitous Network Society

### 1. Elimination of digital divide and promotion of information systems to local communities

In order to deliberate specific measures to eliminate the digital divide in view of the changes that are expected to take place by 2010, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) set up the Strategic Council on Bridging the Digital Divide in October 2007 and a final report was prepared and announced in June 2008. Based on this, the Strategy on Bridging the Digital Divide was formulated as a master plan. The strategy lists the following items as goals for developing a broadband infrastructure: (1) eliminating broadband-zero areas by end of FY2010 and (2) raising the super-high-speed broadband service area coverage rate of households to more than 90%. In addition, the progress of related measures will be followed up under this strategy.

Since it is difficult to rely on private operators to develop a broadband infrastructure to eliminate the remaining zero-broadband areas (1.4% as of end of September 30, 2008), early elimination will be pursued through the active intervention of public programs. The MIC set up the Council on Broadband Development to further facilitate collaborative partnerships with telecommunications business operators.

The MIC also established the Study Group to Promote Development of Mobile Phone Coverage Areas in March 2009 with the aim of reviewing the goals for further coverage area development for mobile phone services and considering specific measures based on the Strategy on Bridging the Digital Divide. A report is expected to be produced around February 2010.

#### 2. Regional development, etc., utilizing the information and communications infrastructure

Acknowledging that correcting the regional divide is an urgent issue, the MIC is committed to upgrading local economies and societies through the power of the structural reform of ICT as, for example, a means of dispatching regional informatization advisors. Specifically, the MIC has set up the Portal Site for Community Revitalization through ICT (jointly with the Association for Promotion of Public Local Information and Communication/July 2008) and has been implementing the Program to Establish Regional ICT-utilization Models (since FY2007).

Furthermore, the MIC has been promoting the dissemination of the Community Information Platform, which is the standard specification stipulating the rules to be followed by individual systems, so that information systems of municipalities, etc., can be mutually connected and coordinated. The MIC has performed demonstration tests on systems meeting the standard specification for the Community Information Platform, which would enable coordination among municipalities and between municipalities and the private sector, targeting the moving industry and local revitalization sector since FY2008 as a project to promote the Community Information Platform.

Furthermore, the MIC has implemented the Hometown Mobile Service Promotion Project with the aim of creating an ubiquitous society and promoting local industry, thus realizing the revival of the local community through the promotion of hometown mobile businesses that provide services limited to specific functions so that the elderly people living in the local area can easily use mobile phones using an MVNO.

### 3. Promotion of barrier-free information

Today, various services are widely offered through information and communications devices or websites, and therefore, it is important to ensure accessibility for elderly and disabled people. The MIC is promoting the active use of the Operational Models for Government Websites for Everyone that offer specific operational models for maintaining and improving web accessibility, enabling all people to use public websites.

With respect to telecommunications accessibility, the ITU-T approved the Telecommunications Accessibility Guidelines, which had been discussed at the instigation of Japan, as an ITU Recommendation in 2007. In response, the MIC has been making efforts toward the dissemination and penetration of the said guidelines.

The MIC has also formulated guidelines necessary to improve usability of ICT products and services for elderly people.

Moreover, in order to enable people with visual and auditory disabilities to easily acquire information through broadcasting media, the MIC subsidizes part