On August 31, 2026, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) published the results of its public consultation and a report from the Radio Regulatory Council clearing a draft ministerial ordinance that opens the 700 MHz band to non-geostationary satellite communications for mobile phones. The council advised that the draft is appropriate as proposed, removing the last statutory hurdle before MIC issues the binding ordinance amending the Radio Act Enforcement Regulations and the Frequency Allocation Plan.
The ordinance will let satellite-constellation operators deliver direct-to-device (D2D) service to ordinary handsets over 700 MHz, covering remote islands, maritime zones and mountain areas where terrestrial infrastructure is absent, and serving as an emergency backstop during natural disasters. With the council's report in hand, MIC said it will promptly finalize the relevant provisions, meaning publication in the Kanpo official gazette and an enforcement date now wait only on the ministerial signature.
What did the Radio Regulatory Council approve, and what happens next?
MIC ran the public comment from July 11 to August 10, 2026 and received 10 submissions, whose content and the ministry's responses it released on August 31 alongside the council report (MIC press release, August 31, 2026). The Radio Regulatory Council, chaired by Keio University emeritus professor Iwao Sasase, was consulted on the items requiring the Radio Act's statutory advisory sign-off, and replied that the draft should be adopted as written.
MIC will now promptly complete the regulatory drafting: the amending ministerial ordinance (shorei) to the Radio Act Enforcement Regulations and the parallel Frequency Allocation Plan change. In practice that means a Kanpo publication setting the entry-into-force date, after which the 700 MHz satellite-to-phone allocation takes effect and equipment certification can begin. The technical conditions themselves were settled a month earlier, in the Information and Communications Council's partial report of June 24, 2026 (technical conditions report), and the consultation had opened on July 10 (consultation opening).
Who is exposed to the new 700 MHz satellite-to-phone regime?
The development directly enables Rakuten Mobile's planned 700 MHz D2D service with AST SpaceMobile, which cannot launch commercially in Japan without this ordinance in force. Handset OEMs selling satellite-capable phones into Japan, the AST SpaceMobile joint venture, and the Registered Certification Bodies (RCBs) such as TELEC that issue Giteki conformity certification must all begin construction-design and interference-coordination work now.
The incumbent mobile operators KDDI, NTT Docomo and SoftBank, which already run 2 GHz Starlink-based D2D, need to track how the 700 MHz framework interacts with their existing authorizations. Existing 700 MHz terrestrial users, including broadcasting and fixed-service operators, must confirm the interference-protection conditions the new satellite allocation imposes on their operations.
What does this mean for Giteki certification of satellite-to-phone equipment?
Specified radio equipment placed on the Japanese market needs Technical Regulations Conformity Certification or Construction Design Certification, the Giteki, issued by an MIC-Registered Certification Body. The new 700 MHz non-geostationary satellite mobile earth station class, whose technical conditions were set out in the Information and Communications Council's partial report of June 24, 2026, will require a fresh certification basis.
Manufacturers and importers of satellite-to-phone terminals and base-station earth stations will need construction-design certification against the amended technical regulations, plus the Giteki mark and ID before customs clearance. Teams should map their hardware against the June 24 technical report now, so certification filing can start the day the ordinance publishes. Interference coordination between the satellite system and 700 MHz terrestrial services is part of the operational authorization, not just the equipment mark.
Compliance timeline for the 700 MHz satellite-to-phone ordinance
| Date | Procedural step |
|---|---|
| June 24, 2026 | Information and Communications Council issues partial report setting 700 MHz technical conditions |
| July 10, 2026 | MIC opens public consultation on the draft ministerial ordinance |
| July 11 to August 10, 2026 | Public comment period, 10 submissions received |
| August 31, 2026 | MIC publishes consultation results and Radio Regulatory Council report approving the draft |
| Promptly (next) | MIC issues the amending ordinance and Frequency Allocation Plan change, published in the Kanpo with an enforcement date |
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For Giteki certification leads, MNO spectrum teams and satellite operators targeting Japan, the checklist is concrete: confirm whether your 700 MHz D2D hardware falls under the new non-geostationary satellite mobile earth station class, brief your RCB and spectrum teams on the June 24 technical conditions, and watch the Kanpo for the ordinance's publication and enforcement date. Obsidian tracks this ordinance from council report to Kanpo publication, so the certification filing window opens the moment the text is final.
