This news is coming straight from the Certification Promotion Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan. The revision of Ordinance Regulating Radio Equipment of frequency expansion of 700 MHz was introduced October 29, 2023. We are going to share a rough summarization based on the original materials that are in Japanese.

In November of last year 2022, MIC began studying the technical conditions for narrow-band LTE-Advanced in response to the growing demand for mobile phone frequencies. A year later based on that information acquired, in August 2023, the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Radio Law was partially amended in order to develop for the introduction of the narrow-band LTE-Advanced System with these goals.

Frequency expansion of the 700 MHz Band for mobile phones.

Addition of 3 MHz channel range.

Frequency change of designated radio equipment due to expansion of the 700 MHz Band, etc.

First, we have the Frequency expansion of 700 MHz Band. Here 715-718 MHz has been designated as an uplink extension band for mobile station transmission. The downlink extension band for vase station transmission has been given the 770-773 MHz Band.

Secondly, the 3 MHz channel range was added. So the channel range is split by base and mobile stations before splitting from 700 MHz Band and 800 MHz Band. Base station, in the 700 MHz Band, only 3 MHz is available for 770-773 MHz. The Mobile station, in the 700 MHz Band, only 3Mhz, 1.08MHz, and 180 kHz are available for 715-718 MHz. While the base and mobile stations in the 800 MHz Band has the additional 3 MHz Band.

Categories of the specified radio equipment will fall under three ordinances. Article 2, Paragraph 1 Item 11-19, 11-19-2 (NB-IoT), and 11-19-3 (eMTC). Maximum antenna power is 23 dBm or less. Antenna power tolerance with +2.7 dB/-6.7 dB of rated antenna power, within +2.7 dB/-3.2 dB of rated antenna power (eMTC), within ± 2.7 dB of rated antenna power (NB-IoT).

Final points to be considered when getting a certification of land mobile stations across 718 MHz. For 715-718 MHz, only 3M00, 1M40 (eMTC), and 200K (NB-IoT) of the allowance of occupied frequency bandwidths can be certified. For 715-718 MHz, it’s not possible to obtain 5M00, 10M0, 15M0, or 20M0 certification. For example, a 5M00 carrier wave includes the 715-718 MHz range, so certification is not possible. But when the lower end of the 5M00 carrier wave is 718 or higher, certification is possible. Certification is also possible for 3M00 carrier ways and 1M40 and 200K when crossing 718 MHz.