What is the MIC consultation on Radio Act enforcement regulations open until September 8, 2026?
It is a public comment window on draft ministerial ordinances amending the Radio Act Enforcement Regulations and the Radio Station License Procedure Rules, implementing the July 10, 2026 Information and Communications Council first interim report on mobile phone licensing reform. The package introduces portable satellite-backhauled base-station licensing, consolidates RedCap, LTE and NR blanket-license standards, expands Sub6 (3.7 to 4.0 GHz) blanket licenses to 291 municipalities, and designates 5G multi-sector antenna-power conditions.
Who must respond to the MIC draft ordinance in Japan?
The licensing and RAN compliance teams at NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, plus portable femtocell, RAN and RedCap IoT equipment vendors selling into Japan. Comments are administered by the Mobile Communications Division of the Telecommunications Bureau's Radio Department (03-5253-5893) and must be postmarked by September 8, 2026.
Does the draft change Giteki conformity certification for base stations?
Yes. The consolidated RedCap, LTE and NR blanket-license standard re-anchors the technical baseline every existing certification references, and the new portable-station category opens a new Giteki conformity path. Equipment vendors should run a gap analysis during the comment window, because the conditions fixed in the final ordinance become the Giteki test basis.
What happens after the comment window closes on September 8, 2026?
MIC has stated it will proceed swiftly to the ordinance amendment after reviewing submitted comments. There is no further formal public input before the ordinance is promulgated in the Kanpo (Official Gazette), after which the new technical conditions become binding and operators must license and certify equipment under them.