Japanese government starts accepting applications for 5G private network spectrum licenses

According to Kyodo News Agency, the Japanese government officially started accepting applications for spectrum licenses for 5G private network services on Tuesday.

Large telecommunications operators such as NTT Docomo will start providing 5G services next spring, but it is expected that their service areas will initially mainly cover large cities.

By allowing local governments and businesses to build their own networks in rural areas, the Japanese central government expects local businesses to start using 5G networks soon. In rural areas, base station construction by major telecom operators may not be as fast.

Using local 5G private networks, machines, cameras, and drones can be remotely controlled at farms and factories. For example, Japanese government authorities are expected to use 5G services to monitor river levels in real time.

5G private networks will be allocated different spectrum resources than mobile operators.

Eleven regional branches of the Ministry of the Interior and Communications of Japan will accept applications for these licenses, which is expected to take about one and a half months to review them.

In the Kanto region, applications from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, NEC Group, Fujitsu and cable service provider Jupiter Telecommunications were submitted on Tuesday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to set up test facilities to help small companies and startups in Tokyo be able to use 5G networks to conduct business, and NTT East will use these services for its esports business.

The Japanese Ministry of Communications plans to expand the wireless spectrum resources available for 5G private networks in 2020, so that more companies can use 5G networks.