A new research panel under the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry began on Wednesday to deliberate "net neutrality," the principle that all internet content be treated fairly. The panel intends to review the existing rules on net neutrality at a time when more people are accessing the internet via mobile phones.
Net neutrality is the principle that businesses providing internet services give equal treatment to users in such areas as transmission speed.
In Japan, telecommunications operators are prohibited from unfair, discriminatory treatment of businesses and users by the Telecommunications Business Law.
In addition, the so-called "three principles for establishing network neutrality" were created in 2007 to spell out such guidelines as that users should be able to use the internet freely.
However, at the time, the principles were premised on services being provided via fixed phone lines. They are becoming less compatible with services provided in an era when smartphones are so widespread.
In fact, in Japan, major mobile phone carrier SoftBank Corp. and LINE Mobile, a provider of a low-cost smartphone service, have begun offering services that allow unlimited used of data communications by certain content providers.
Of concern is that the "zero rating" system, in which specific types of data communication are exempted from charges, may end up excluding businesses that do not receive the rating from the market.
Due to rising data communication volumes, the increasing costs assumed by mobile phone carriers and other businesses to maintain telecommunications networks are becoming an issue.
According to the communications ministry, the volume of data downloaded by mobile phones in May increased 41 percent from the same period last year. The volume is only expected to expand.
Some data also show that online video streaming services provided by such businesses as YouTube account for more than half of global data communication.
Mobile phone carriers and related businesses plan to promote development of high-speed, large-volume telecommunications networks, including those for 5G -- the next-generation telecommunications standard -- to deal with large volumes of data, such as high-resolution images.
Telecommunications companies are unhappy that providers of video streaming content and other services are benefiting by hitching a free ride on telecommunications networks.
The research panel will also examine whether to require content providers to pay maintenance costs for communications networks.
Countries overseas take different approaches to net neutrality. The United States in June repealed rules stipulating net neutrality, while in Europe, communications companies are banned from discriminatory treatment in regards to data communication.
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