Regulatory Compliance News

Proposed Amendment to Ministerial Ordinance – Regulation for Radio Equipment

The Ministry has proposed a partial amendment to the Regulation for Radio Equipment and related ordinances. This amendment affects both the Regulation for Radio Equipment and the Ordinance on Technical Regulations Conformity Certification of Specified Radio Equipment.

The primary reason for this amendment is the rapid increase in mobile communications traffic in Japan, which is expected to continue growing due to new demands for mobile communication services. To address this trend, the amendment seeks to secure sufficient bandwidth to support the expansion of fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems.

The amendment introduces new technical requirements for 5G systems operating in the 26 GHz band. In the Regulation for Radio Equipment, the 26 GHz band will be added as a target frequency for Time Division Duplex–New Radio (TDD-NR) mobile systems, along with the stipulation of related technical standards. In the Ordinance on Technical Regulations Conformity Certification, the 26 GHz band will also be included in the construction design documents of specified radio equipment for conformity certification. The new TDD-NR regulations will largely align with 3GPP standards, except for specified differences.

For mobile telecommunications base stations (excluding femtocell base stations) and user equipment operating with TDD-NR, the amendment specifies a frequency range of 25.25 to 29.5 GHz, with 28.2 to 29.1 GHz reserved for local 5G. Channel bandwidth options will be 50, 100, 200, and 400 MHz, using TDD duplexing. The maximum allowable antenna power is set at 3.16 W for user equipment, while base stations have no specified limit. The maximum allowable antenna gain for user equipment is 20 dBi, with allowances for compensation if the equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) is 55 dBm or less.

For femtocell base stations, the same frequency range and channel bandwidths will apply. The maximum antenna power will be 400 mW, with an antenna gain limit of 0 dBi. Frequency deviation must remain within ±(0.25 ppm + 12 Hz), and antenna power deviation within −70% to +224%. Unwanted emissions are limited to −13 dBm, and adjacent channel leakage must not exceed −10.3 dBm/MHz or −25.7 dBc. Additional limits apply to receiver circuit leak radiation across specified frequency ranges.

For low-power repeaters (LPR) using TDD-NR, the frequency range remains 25.25 to 29.5 GHz, with the same channel bandwidth options. The maximum antenna power is 200 mW, and the maximum antenna gain is 20 dBi. Frequency deviation must remain within ±(0.1 ppm + 12 Hz), and antenna power deviation within −70% to +224%. The adjacent channel leakage ratio is set at −10.3 dBm/MHz or −25.7 dBc for downlink and −14.7 dBc for uplink. Unwanted emissions are generally limited to −13 dBm/MHz, with exceptions in the 23.6 to 24 GHz range. The amendment also specifies allowable out-of-band gain limits depending on frequency offsets.

For repeaters other than LPRs, the amendment applies the same frequency range, channel bandwidths, and frequency deviation requirements. No maximum antenna power or gain is specified. Antenna power deviation must remain within −70% to +224%, and adjacent channel leakage ratio requirements match those for LPRs. Unwanted emission and spectrum mask tolerance limits are also stipulated, including more stringent conditions for certain frequency offsets.

The proposed date for these amendments to enter into force is February 2026.