Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) promulgated Ordinance No. 115 of 2026 (Reiwa 8, 令和8年総務省令第115号) on October 1, 2026, amending the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act and the Radio Equipment Regulations. The ordinance restructures the technical standards for mobile earth stations (携帯移動地球局) used in satellite mobile communication services under Article 49-23-7 of the Radio Equipment Regulations, and was issued by the Satellite Mobile Communications Division of MIC's Integrated Communications Bureau.
Japanese importers, distributors and manufacturers of mobile earth stations used for satellite mobile telecommunications must ensure equipment placed on the Japanese market conforms to the restructured technical standards in Radio Equipment Regulations Article 49-23-7 and carries a Giteki conformity certification, from October 1, 2026, or the equipment cannot be placed or operated in Japan.
What changed in the mobile earth station technical standards?
Ordinance No. 115 restructures Article 49-23-7 of the Radio Equipment Regulations, which sets the technical standards for mobile earth stations (携帯移動地球局) used for telecommunications services, into separate paragraphs. The cross-references in Article 15-3 of the Radio Act Enforcement Regulations, which list the equipment specifications for specific radio stations, were updated to point to specific paragraph combinations of Article 49-23-7 instead of the article as a whole: item (1) now cites the first and second paragraphs, item (10) the first and third, and items (11), (12) and (13) the first and fourth. The antenna power tolerance deviation table in Article 14 of the Radio Equipment Regulations is also revised. The full amending text is published as the official ordinance PDF on the MIC website.
| Instrument amended | What the ordinance changes |
|---|---|
| Radio Act Enforcement Regulations Art. 15-3 | Equipment specifications for specific radio stations; mobile earth stations (item 5) now reference specific paragraph combinations of Art. 49-23-7 instead of the article as a whole |
| Radio Equipment Regulations Art. 49-23-7 | Technical standards for mobile earth stations restructured into separate paragraphs |
| Radio Equipment Regulations Art. 14 | Antenna power tolerance deviation table revised |
Who must comply with the amended standards?
The amended standards bind three groups by market exposure. Japanese importers and distributors of satellite mobile communication earth stations must ensure the equipment they bring to market meets the restructured technical standards. Manufacturers of satellite mobile communication terminals placing equipment on the Japanese market must obtain or update Giteki certification against the new Article 49-23-7 paragraphs before shipment. Operators of mobile earth stations used for telecommunications services in Japan must operate only certified equipment.
The obligation falls on any person placing or operating the specified radio equipment concerned. The ordinance concerns only the mobile earth station segment; the separately tracked 6 GHz wireless LAN and 76 GHz radar milestones remain distinct ordinances in the MIC pipeline.
What must manufacturers and importers do, and by when?
The amended technical standards apply from October 1, 2026, the ordinance's promulgation and publication date. Manufacturers and importers must confirm that any mobile earth station equipment placed on the Japanese market from that date conforms to the restructured Article 49-23-7 paragraphs and carries a valid Giteki mark.
Under the Radio Act (Act No. 131 of 1950), specified radio equipment such as mobile earth stations must obtain Technical Regulations Conformity Certification before it is placed on the market or operated. Certification is issued by a Registered Certification Body (RCB) such as TELEC, and certified products must carry the Giteki mark and identification number. Compliance leads should map their product portfolio against the mobile earth station category, request updated test reports from their RCB against the restructured paragraphs, and re-check any pending certification applications before shipment.
What happens if equipment does not conform?
Mobile earth station equipment that does not meet the amended technical standards cannot be placed on the Japanese market or operated there, because specified radio equipment requires a valid Giteki conformity certification before placement or operation. Japan Customs verifies the Giteki mark at import, so non-compliant shipments can be held at the border. Continuous, per-jurisdiction monitoring of the MIC ordinance feed surfaces a technical standards amendment the moment it publishes, before it reaches trade press.
Compliance leads should verify whether their satellite mobile communication equipment falls under the mobile earth station category, confirm that certifications are valid or updated against the restructured Article 49-23-7, and brief the certification and import teams on the October 1, 2026 application date.
