# Section 1

# Formation of an Advanced Information and Telecommunications Network Society

## 1 Promotion of national strategy

The government set up the Advanced Information and Telecommunications Society Promotion Headquarters (IT Strategic Headquarters) in January 2001 and announced its “e-Japan Strategy” with the aim of making Japan the world's most advanced IT nation within five years. During the five years of the “e-Japan Strategy” and other programs, Japan has successfully achieved the most advanced level in the world in terms of the development and penetration of broadband infrastructures, the diffusion of high-functional mobile phones, and the development of an environment for e-commerce. Japan has also become one of the world's leading nations in terms of the level of ICT users, and is now “the world's most advanced IT nation” which has the most advanced infrastructure and technological environment.

On the other hand, there remain various issues to be resolved: for example, to improve the satisfaction in receiving administrative, educational and medical services through ICT, to narrow the regional and generation gaps in the use of information, to promote security measures and disaster prevention/anti-disaster measures, to use ICT in corporate management, to strengthen the international competitiveness of industries, and international contributions.

In the future, Japan should, from the users' viewpoint, effectively use ICT by taking advantage of its characteristics in an attempt to improve peoples' lives and industrial competitiveness, as well as to address serious social issues it is facing. A primary objective to that end is to achieve ubiquitous network society - a society that allows to connect networks "anytime, anywhere by anything and anyone", while giving due consideration to ensure security and to protect privacy. In this way, Japan will continue to be the most advanced ICT nation with the world's most advanced infrastructure, ability to use ICT, and technological environment. Furthermore, Japan should send its achievements to the world. By accomplishing these goals, the use of ICT from people's viewpoints, the improvement in peoples' lives, and the enhancement of its industrial competitiveness will be achieved.

To accomplish these goals and to contribute to establishing an Asia-centered international community which makes it possible to co-exist and co-prosper as a front runner who leads the ICT revolution of the world, MIC is promoting the “u-Japan Policy.” In addition, the IT Strategy Headquarters formulated “the IT New Reform Strategy” on January 19, 2006 as a national strategy.

## 2 u-Japan policy

To examine measures and challenges for achieving a ubiquitous network society, MIC established the “Policy Roundtable for Realizing a Ubiquitous Network Society” from March to December, 2004, and adopted the “u-Japan Policy”.

With the purpose of leading the world as the world’s most advanced ICT nation in 2010, a policy package with the following basic points will be promoted under the “u-Japan Policy”.

The first is the development of ubiquitous networks. The development of infrastructure in the past mainly centered on wired connections, ranging from narrowband to broadband such as DSL, cable networks, and fiber optics. However, under “the u-Japan policy,” a seamless ubiquitous network environment will be created in which people can receive services without being conscious of the networks (wired or wireless), and the development of broadband infrastructures will be continued to be promoted nationwide in order to close the digital divide between urban and rural areas.

The second is an enhancement of the ICT usage. ICT usage in the past had emphasized pioneering informatization and supported the fields where the informatization had not been developed. Now, the “u-Japan Policy” focuses on resolving various social problems such as the falling birthrate and the aging population, and aims to establish society in which 80% of the population evaluates the ICT is useful to resolve various problems.

The third is improving the user environment. As ICT has penetrated deeply into peoples' lives, worries and disturbances over privacy and information security that are emerging in cyber society have increased, and at the same time, there is a possibility that new unpredictable issues will emerge. In order to prevent in advance such problems from arising, the Policy aims to establish society in which 80% of the population feels secure about ICT.

By developing policies in line with these three basic points, the Policy aim to realize a value-creation oriented society in which ICT penetrates deeply into peoples' lives, and new values emerge one after another through creative ICT usage.