### 5. Contributing to more resilient public infrastructure

## (1) Strengthening the disaster resilience of communications and broadcast infrastructure

Based on experiences from the Great East Japan Earthquake, MIC has been pursuing research and development policies toward realizing highly disaster-tolerant ICT since FY 2011. In addition, the Ministry has been promoting the dissemination of these R&D outcomes through industry-academic-government collaborative platforms, such as the Resilient ICT Research Council, which includes MIC and private corporations, and the NICT's Resilient ICT Research Center.

## (2) Managing and maintaining public infrastructure with ICT

MIC is pushing research and development and international standardization in the area of highly reliable, low-power communications technology that will gather and transmit data on seismic strains, vibrations, and other phenomena measured with sensors in order to make it possible to manage and maintain public infrastructure efficiently and effectively using sensors and other forms of ICT.

### 6. Other research and development programs

## (1) Base technologies for universal communications

NICT researching and developing multilingual communications technology, base technology for content and services, and super realistic communications technology in order to create communications technologies that truly work in harmony with people, to improve the convenience of citizens' lives, and to help construct an affluent and reassuring society.

## (2) Future base ICT technologies

MIC and NICT are researching and developing base ICT technologies that apply new principles and functions with the aim of increasing the capacity and improving the safety of communications networks. NICT is researching and developing quantum ICT technology, nano ICT technology, and base electromagnetic sensing technology. MIC and NICT together are researching and developing ultra-high-frequency ICT technologies.

## Section 8 Promoting International Strategies for ICT

### 1. Priority promotion themes for international policy

## (1) Promoting overseas deployment of Japanese ICT

In the broadcasting field, the government and private sector are working together to further adoption of the Japanese ISDB-T standard for terrestrial digital TV in other countries in partnership with Brazil, which adopted the standard in 2006. As of May 2015, a total of 17 countries in Central and South America, Asia, and Africa have decided to adopt the Japanese standard.

In countries around the world, there is growing interest in disaster preparedness, as the occurrence of natural disasters globally has risen significantly in the last 30 years. MIC is promoting the international expansion of Japan's disaster-response and disaster-preparedness ICT systems, which collect, analyze, and distribute information on disasters using ICT and, thereby, make it possible to implement efficient and effective disaster responses. The Ministry has produced results in Asia and in Central and South America through policy dialogs in discussing collaborative plans and projects with partner countries, feasibility studies and pilot projects that verify the adaptability of disaster-preparedness ICT solutions in the local regions, and HR development seminars to train disaster-preparedness ICT officials in each country.

## (2) Developing an environment for ICT overseas deployment and developing an environment for smooth distribution of information

MIC stresses two points in constructing international rules for cyber space: (1) the maximum regard must be given to the freedom to distribute information not only to sustain democracy but also because information is the engine of economic growth and the source of innovation, and (2) the participation of the private sector, including private enterprises and civil society who actually use the Internet in their activities and manage networks, (multistakeholder framework) is essential to ensure adequate cyber security. From this perspective, MIC actively participates in debates at bilateral and multilateral meetings.

MIC received a final report from the Information and Communications Council in July 2012 on international standardization. The report recommended that standardization be made a priority field and laid out a strategic standardization roadmap that explained the necessity for standardization in each field and set out specific achievement targets. The map indicated that the most pressing standardization needs were in the smart grid, digital signage, and next-generation browser areas and that mid-to-long terms needs were in new-generation networks (including new-generation wireless networks). Following the recommendations in the final report, MIC is advancing strategic international standardization activities in order to improve convenience for consumers and users and to strengthen the international competitiveness of industry.