Telecommunications

May 2007  

TV Bandwidth To Be Reassigned To Cell Phone Firms

The Communications Ministry is set to reallocate to cellular phone operations much of the bandwidth that will become available when television broadcasters switch from analog to digital in 2011. When TV broadcasts go digital, roughly a third of the spectrum now used for terrestrial TV will be freed up. A panel of experts under the Telecommunications Council issued a plan Monday for reallocating this 130MHz of bandwidth. It will sound out the telecommunications and broadcasting industries and submit a final report to the communications minister next month. Under the plan, 40MHz would be allocated for mobile phones -- enough bandwidth to accommodate some 50 million 3G (third-generation) cell phone users. This is expected to relieve congestion and make it easier to debut new services, such as those offering high-quality video. The panel also calls for 32.5MHz to be used by telecom firms and broadcasters for mobile services that differ from standard TV fare. Also recommended is that 32.5MHz be allocated to emergency radio and 10MHz to the intelligent transport system, which notifies drivers of congestion and supplies other traffic information. The panel sees a need to allocate bandwidth for ITS because the system is expected to eventually be paired with technology in which vehicles sense dangers on the road and apply the brakes automatically. The ministry now plans to create the guidelines on how firms can apply for licenses for using the available frequencies. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, May 15, 2007)  

Govt To Favor Newcomers In Granting Wireless Broadband Licenses

The government announced Tuesday that it will issue licenses for next-generation wireless broadband services to up to two companies. Providers of existing third-generation mobile phone service such as NTT DoCoMo Inc. and KDDI Corp., however, will not be eligible for licensing in order to encourage new firms to enter the market, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. Next-generation wireless broadband will offer high-speed communications equivalent to those of a fiber-optic system, allowing users to smoothly access the Internet even when they are in moving cars or sparsely populated mountainous areas. The new service is expected to begin within the next three years. Last December, 14 companies and groups, including NTT DoCoMo, Softbank Corp., KDDI, Willcom Inc. and eAccess Ltd., expressed their intention to acquire licenses. At a press conference, Communications Minister Yoshihide Suga explained why third-generation cell phone service providers will be excluded from gaining licenses for the new service. "We hope to promote new wireless services, different from those offered by conventional cell phones, and revitalize the market," he said. Most licensees of the wireless broadband technologies are expected to use a technology known as WiMAX. Even though NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank cannot obtain licenses on their own, their expertise on WiMAX means they may seek to offer the new service through joint ventures with fixed-line telephone companies. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, May 15, 2007)