Japan Eyes Next-Generation Satellite Communications

Tokyo, Aug. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to make a fiscal 2006 budget request to finance research and development activities for next-generation satellite communications, government officials said Monday.

The ministry will act on a study group report that called for Japan to put into practical use by 2015 a new satellite communications system to enable mobile telephone communications in the event that ground-based networks are disrupted due to natural disasters or other emergencies.

Current satellite-based mobile phones are bulky and awkward to carry. As a result, the number of subscribers is low at some 19,600, even at top industry player NTT DoCoMo Inc. .

The report said Japan should form stronger networks between satellite and ground-based communications systems to facilitate the collection of disaster-related information, to help close regional gaps in communications capabilities, and to prepare a better environment for communications involving aircraft and other vehicles moving at high speeds.END