Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Kaneko's New Year Outlook: Without local prosperity, there is no national prosperity

Yasushi Kaneko, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, responded to a written interview at a Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications telecom press conference, looking ahead to the future of the Ministry's important measures. The "Digital Garden City National Vision" promoted by the Kishida Cabinet is one of their most important policies, and the Ministry has also set up a promotion headquarters and incorporated measures into the supplementary budget for the current fiscal year, intending to continue to play a major role in this endeavor.

Regarding the digitization initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications under the "Digital Garden City National Vision" advocated by the Government

Minister Kaneko: Regions confronting such challenges as population and birthrate decline as well as society aging have a need to utilize digital technology in a variety of fields. The realization of the "Digital Garden City National Vision", which aims to revitalize rural areas by advancing digital implementation as quickly as possible, resolving these regional issues, and narrowing the gap between rural areas and cities, is one of the most important policies of the Kishida Cabinet, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications should also play a major role.

In November, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications established the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Digital Garden City National Vision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, headed by myself, to strongly promote this vision. The supplementary budget for this fiscal year includes the following main measures to realize the vision: projects to develop 5G and cell phone coverage in disadvantaged areas; development tests for local 5G to resolve specific issues; and projects to strengthen digital infrastructure, such as data centers and undersea cables, by decentralizing to rural areas. Based on the idea that "there will be no national prosperity without local prosperity", we will continue to do our utmost to realize the creation of a vibrant community by connecting cities and rural areas by overcoming physical distances through digital means.

Regarding the technological strategies and R&D promotion efforts aimed at enhancing Japan's industrial competitiveness with a view to the post-pandemic era in 5G and Beyond5G promotion strategies

From the perspective of strengthening industrial competitiveness in the post-pandemic era, we believe that R&D in the information and communications field, including 5G and Beyond5G, which support the digitization of societies, is of vital importance. In particular, Beyond5G will become the foundation of society and industry in the 2030s. Accordingly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications established a fund of 30 billion yen last fiscal year to support R&D by corporations and universities. In addition, measures to further promote R&D are included in this fiscal year's supplementary budget and next fiscal year's budget requests.

Furthermore, to strengthen Japan's international competitiveness in the Beyond5G era, we need to strategically work on R&D and the acquisition of intellectual properties and international standards. Therefore, the ICT Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is currently looking into technology strategies. Under the policy of the Kishida Cabinet, which is to boldly invest in growth fields such as science and technology and digital technology, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will further strengthen its R&D and technology strategies in the field of information and communications.

Efforts to promote the spread of local 5G

Local 5G is one of the vital foundations for realizing the Digital Garden City National Vision, which aims to create vibrant regions through the implementation of digital technology. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is conducting demonstration tests to support the effective and smooth introduction of local 5G from a technical point of view and for other goals, as well as providing online seminars and support for the formulation of introduction plans aimed at companies and organizations considering the introduction of local 5G. We are also working to reduce the cost of installation by opening up new frequencies for local 5G that are easier to use. In addition to this, the supplementary budget for this fiscal year is earmarked to conduct large-scale demonstrations in a manner similar to the actual environment, while taking into account local needs. We intend to continue to work with related companies, local governments, and other entities to promote the dissemination of local 5G even more strongly.