The current state of convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting

 ■ The current state of convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting

I was invited to the investment working group at the Regulatory Reform Council to engage in debate about broadcasting reforms. I made a presentation entitled “Telecommunications and Broadcasting Convergence 2.0.” Let me share a summary of this presentation below.

What is the current state of telecommunications and broadcasting convergence?

Major developments in video services are 1) convergence, 2) smartphones and 3) large screens.

There are three trends: 1) the development of combined telecommunications and broadcasting services, 2) the trend to ‘smartphone-first’ and 3) signage and public viewings for 4K8K.

1) One example of combined services is broadcaster ‘radiko,’ which was formed out of a collaboration between an Osaka radio station and NTT and was launched as an experiment in collaboration between industry and academia here at Keio University. It has since expanded nationwide.

An example of using DTTV bandwidth for telecommunications was led by a consortium called the ‘IPDC Forum’ since 2009 whereby IPDC was spread by overlaying IP onto the broadcasting bandwidth

2) The main battleground has shifted to smartphones

There has been an unmistakable shift to ‘smartphone-first,’ whereby the central device has shifted from the television to the smartphone. There are examples, such as Abama, of broadcasters collaborating with IT companies, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most services are pursued from the telecommunications side. Since last year, overseas OTT media streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon have taken off. With massive investments in content production, we are starting to see signs of structural change, mainly in the television sector.

3) Digital signage and public viewings through ultra high-definition 4K8K on large screen displays have expanded onto main street 

The ‘Digital Signage Consortium’ was formed 10 years ago and has become a fully-fledged business. The ‘Next Generation Contents Distribution Forum,’ which creates opportunities for 4K8K public viewings around the country, was established last year. In cooperation with MIC, NHK and NTT, there are plans for public viewings in 100 locations throughout 2020. Telecommunications will take the lead on 4K8K.

Now we must turn our attention to three examples from overseas.

1) All-IP, All-cloud media services

Amazon has built a platform upon AMS cloud infrastructure to create a multi-network, multi-device streaming system. Many broadcasting networks around the world have already begun to use it. Some networks are considering shifting entirely to a cloud-based system.

2) A platform in the United Kingdom

BBC and commercial networks have created a joint platform on YouView and FreeviewPlay. This also acts as a way to go head-to-head with OTT media services from the United States such as Netflix and Amazon.

3) Policy Responses in the United States

The way the United States deals with the system through bandwidth auctions and net-neutrality requires attention. In 2016, the FCC transferred bandwidth that was no longer being used by television networks to telecommunications operators, paying television networks a total of $10.5 billion (¥1 trillion). The aim was to promote equipment consolidation amongst regional networks and investment in mobile phone technology. 

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The Government’s new IT strategy

 ■ The Government’s new IT strategy

I asked the Cabinet Secretariat’s IT Strategy Office about the Government’s new IT strategy. Their reply was that they would push ahead with digital reform of Government services.

The three pillars of their approach are:

1. The full digitalization of Government services

2. The full disclosure of Government-held data

3. Laying the foundations of digital reforms

1. The full digitalization of Government services

The goal is to create a society in which all Government services — from start to finish — can be completed digitally. There has been progress toward starting legal reforms in order to eliminate the need for submission of paper-based supporting documents and the full digitalization of social security and taxation procedures. The goal is to propose a comprehensive ‘digital-first’ law for implementation of related matters in one fell swoop.

There are 43,000 types of Government services on offer, of which only 12%, or 5,000 have been moved online. This is because many procedures call for paperwork to be submitted in hard-copy. A certified copy of one’s family register must be procured from city hall when applying for social security benefits or a passport. There are 47 million such applications per year. Each year, there are 200 million applications made that require supporting documents to be attached in hard-copy! The policy is for a complete shift to digital methods, including for these supporting documents.

Moreover, around 0.9% of Government services (395 programs) account for 98% of submitted applications. There is apparently going to be a root-and-branch review of those services that are hardly ever applied for — perhaps they are not necessary.

The following three principles of digitalization have been proposed in order to accelerate this process:

● Digital first: citizens should be able to complete applications for services digitally

● Once only: There should be no need to resubmit paperwork that has already been submitted

● Connected and streamlined: All services should be available in one place

2. The full disclosure of Government-held data

Full disclosure will spur innovation through use of data and the creation of new businesses. A list detailing the data sets held by the Government should be released.

Six years have passed since the start of full data disclosure. There has been a strengthening from recommending disclosure to mandating it. That said, only 20% of all data related to Government services is managed electronically. Only 45% of statistical data sets have been fully disclosed. Only 17% of local governments have made steps toward open data. There is a long way to go.

3. Laying the foundations of digital reforms

We should set out basic rules for national and local Governments and standardizing terms, codes and characters. An issue plaguing the placement of family registers online is the incompatibility of character codes used in systems developed independently by different local governments. The IPA announced at the end of last year that it had completed ISO certification for 60,000 kanji characters. Cooperation on these developments is required.

Furthermore, Government policy is to promote digital reforms by private enterprise and the creation of businesses that harness IT and data. Other areas being pursued are collaborative projects involving agriculture, distribution and ports, etc.; promoting teleworking; use of open-source information in combination with data held by private enterprises; and promoting the sharing economy. 

As a board member of both VLED (and open data foundation) and DTA (a data logistics promotion council), I have been active in promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as being involved with an accreditation scheme at the Sharing Economy Association of Japan. I also have provided backup support to advance the IT strategies of these initiatives. The Cabinet Secretariat IT Office is doing great work in placing pressure on Government Ministries and Agencies as well as collaborating with private enterprise.

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Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Committee for the Future of Broadcasting Services

 ■ Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Committee for the Future of  Broadcasting Services 

This is a committee to discuss the future of broadcasting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).

It is a committee set up based upon the recommendations of the Regulatory Reform Council. It is charged with discussing how to effectively make use of broadcast bandwidth, with an eye to the future of broadcasting. I am participating as one of the committee members.

This is the first time I have participated in discussions about broadcasting policy since my involvement in the process of setting out the legal framework for the convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting ten years ago. Having been brought onboard for the first time in ten years, I felt the pressure of being expected to lob difficult questions into the debate — just like last time.

The convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting was first debated by the Telecommunications Council in 1992, which is now 28 years ago. This topic came to prominence in 2005 with the kerfuffle over the merger of Livedoor with Fuji TV, and Rakuten with TBS. This is now 15 years ago. Apart from the advent of radiko, there have been very few developments since then.

There have, however, been developments in arguments about the system. In 2006, there was debate in the MIC Conference regarding legal issues, leading to the establishment of a legal framework for the convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting five years later. This opened the way for the separation of the tangible and intangible aspects of broadcasting, and the establishment of dual-purpose telecommunications and broadcasting bandwidth licenses. However, we have still not seen the advent of many new businesses that have taken advantage of this new system.

In this period, the installation of digital terrestrial television (DTTV) was completed.

DTTV aimed for three things: clarity, convenience and ‘rezoning’. Providing high-definition image clarity has been achieved. However, the aim of convenience, which is equivalent to IT functionality, was usurped by smartphones and the internet.

In terms of bandwidth ‘rezoning,’ it was possible to construct and have ‘tenants’ occupy virtual ‘high-rise buildings’ in the digital UHF band. However, the plan to build similar ‘high-rise buildings’ for ‘tenants’ in the freed-up VHF band has floundered.

Let’s move on to the outlook for the field of broadcasting.

I have previously made comments along the following lines: “How do we view structural changes in businesses such as smartphone-first and OTT media services? How do we view the technological possibilities being discussed in the United States and Europe around All-IP and All-cloud media services? Is this wave of businesses and technology unavoidable, or can Japan chart its own course? Our gut-reaction to these questions will determine policy.”

The total market value of television stations in Tokyo is ¥1.8 trillion. The operating profit of NTT last year was ¥1.5 trillion. We must sketch out a strategy that takes into account the fact that there is a difference in scale and investment capacity such that the annual profits of a single telecommunications company could buy out a broadcaster in its entirety.

The legal framework has been resolved, and technology should be incorporated. I believe the remaining issues are to do with business methodology and management strategies.

Some committee members have said that the internet protocol is no longer in the realm of telecommunications and should properly be thought of as infrastructure. I couldn't agree more.

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Our response to next-generation IT is coming into view

 ■Our response to next-generation IT is coming into view  

The CSIS-Nikkei Virtual Thinktank made the policy proposal that we should “aim to actualize the optimum society that has adapted to the next generation of IT”.

As this is consistent with my awareness of the problem, and is also closely related to my activities, I will take note of it.

The proposal argued that as the labor shortage worsens further, productivity increases through technological innovation are indispensable, and we should promote research and development “by constructing an institutional foundation with regard to AI and robots”.

The most important problem Japan is facing is the labor shortage, and the way we should deal with it is through the usage of AI and robots. I agree with this.

“Current legislation and systems do not adequately deal with the new issue of the possession of intellectual-property rights by AIs that have completed learning”

For this reason, the IP headquarters of the government have been holding a world-leading discussion on the issue of AI intellectual property for the past two years.

However, the indecisiveness of businesses cannot be blamed entirely on this.

The readiness of managers is needed at the same time as government responses.

“We must speed up the standardization of data standards and the preparation of a foundation for data trading”

The collection and use of big data are the key to the development of AI.

The preparation of IT infrastructure in the data trading market is important.

For this purpose, steps have started being taken to establish the Data Trading Alliance through cooperation among industry, government and academia.

“We need to strengthen cooperation among industry, government and academia, including by opening up data held by public institutions”

VLED is continuing its activities in order to promote open data through cooperation among industry, government and academia.

I am serving as a director of both the Data Trading Alliance and VLED.

“Consumers’ behavior is also shifting further from ‘possession to usage’”

Yes, the expansion of the sharing economy is also linked to increased efficiency in the economy, as well as the birth of new industries.

The preparation of an environment through “common regulations” created through cooperation among industry, government and academia is progressing with regard to the sharing economy as well.

Something I’ve just thought of here is that the proposal refers to “reforms in the way we work”, as well as supporting the “reallocation of skilled human resources”.

This is speaking of labor in addition to services in the context of “modularization”.

Modularizing labor, and placing it on the chopping board of the sharing economy? I agree.

The sharing economy is expanding from large items (homes [Airbnb], cars [Uber]) to small items (bicycles, fashion), as well as to people’s time and skills.

Time and skills are resources that all people have, and it is here that the greatest potential of the sharing economy is hidden.

This means subdividing and modularizing people’s time and skills, and making them tradable.

A structure that modularizes people’s time and skills - in other words, letting them wear four or five pairs of straw sandals, encouraging diverse side jobs, and making them sharable and tradable.

As someone who is loitering around in many pairs of straw sandals, my response to the spread of this way of working is “yes, what if everyone did that too?”

 “‘Requirements for face-to-face meetings or written documents and other social customs’ have been identified as a factor hindering increased productivity through digitization” “We need to carry out a ‘digital-first’ review that questions our regulations from a zero base, including the belief in face-to-face meetings or written documents that persists in all parts of society”

The government’s IT headquarters are taking measures, but they are moving slowly. I would like to do this one way or another.

 “We point out that ‘recurrent education’ for the currently working generation to relearn how to use AI is an urgent task”

Yes.

That’s why I have decided to set up iU as a professional university.

I will thoroughly carry out recurrent education on IT, AI, and IoT. 

The things we must do for society to respond to next-generation IT are coming into view. We just need to move forward.

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Copyright Act amendments suitable for the network age have materialized

 ■Copyright Act amendments suitable for the network age have materialized             

 Along with amendments to the School Education Law to recognize digital textbooks as legitimate textbooks, a reform bill for the Copyright Act has been passed in the Diet.

 There are two points to take note of with regard to the amendments to the Copyright Act.

1)Establishing flexible restrictions on rights that are compatible with the progress of digitization and the development of networks

　It is now possible to use works for services that make use of big data without permission. Some services where permission may currently be needed, such as location-search or data-analysis services, can now be used without permission.

2) Developing restrictions on rights compatible with the computerization of education

　Teachers are now able to send teaching material that they have created using others’ works to students’ devices through networks for teaching purposes without needing permission. Only a compensation payment is required.

These points are the result of the directions set in the IP headquarters, where I served as chairman, being turned into policy. Right holders, users, academia, and the political world have held discussions and made adjustments for many years; now there has finally been a cabinet decision and a submission in the Diet. I would like to give my sincere thanks to everyone involved, starting from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

The IP plan clearly states that “we will take the necessary measures to allow for the speedy presentation of draft bills with regard to flexible rights restrictions under the Copyright Act”. With regard to computerization in education, it states that “we will take the new necessary measures to enable the smooth public transmission of works during lessons, including claim rights for compensation payments”.

Furthermore, the IP plan stated with regard to digital textbooks that “we will take the necessary measures to enable the approval of the use of published works within the necessary limits”; it was decided that this will be handled in a reform bill of the School Education Law, but it has also been actualized as a law at the same time.

Now that the laws have been handled, what is important now is the guidelines that we are looking for in the IP plan.

“Reviewing regulations on rights restrictions in order to promote innovation: we will take the necessary measures to formulate guidelines.” 

The Copyright Act only sets general matters in law, and leaves interpretation and usage up to right holders and users, allowing disputes to be settled in court. The extent of government intervention is low, and there are broad grey zones where judgment is difficult.

In particular, this amendment has been left abstract to a certain degree so that flexible action will be possible in future cases. As a result, it would be desirable to indicate prevailing interpretations through guidelines.

I believe it would be good for right holders, users, academia, and those involved in administration and justice to come together and set these guidelines.

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The preparation of a foundation for data trading is moving forward

 ■The preparation of a foundation for data trading is moving forward           

The founding general meeting of the Data Trading Alliance corporation was held in Nagatacho, Tokyo.

It is an organization that works to establish a technological and institutional environment where data providers can provide data smoothly and with peace of mind, and data users can easily determine which data they want and collect and use this data.

http://data-trading.org/

This conference was set up under private leadership, based on reviews done in the IT strategy department of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. I am participating as a director.

A platform for the supply and usage of big data is the foundation of industry and society in the AI era.

This issue is also an urgent and important one for the country.

A world-leading two-year discussion on intellectual-property policies that would promote the use and application of data and AI also happened in the committee of the government’s IP headquarters, where I served as chairman.

Although the discussion was on IP plans, data and AI were first on the agenda, and along with the construction of IP policies to promote the use and application of data and AI, “the construction of a foundation for data trading” was clearly specified.

The keywords are “safety” and “peace of mind”.

An environment where the data can be provided and used with peace of mind is important.

Although Japan is safe, it is an insecure society. Both when it comes to the sharing economy and when it comes to digital education, although we are safe, our insecurity is taking the lead, and we are remaining an underdeveloped country in terms of usage.

But if we remain an underdeveloped country in terms of data usage, there is no future for Japan.

Just as the IP headquarters led the world in going into this discussion, I would like to move ahead and make preparations in order to ask the world about data trading.

It is clear that this is an important international topic. Let’s get our attitude for that purpose ready through collaboration among industry, government and academia.

The conference includes four committees:

The Committee for Review of Usage Standards (for the formulation of independent rules on usage in data trading)

The Committee for Review of Technological Standards (for creating standard specifications for data catalogs, metadata, etc.)

The Authorization and Inspection Committee (run by third parties in order to ensure the suitability of data-trading business)

The Committee for the Promotion of Use and Application

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The “Super-Education Association” founding prospectus

 ■The “Super-Education Association” founding prospectus           

　The founding prospectus of the Super-Education Association has been released.

　The lack of IT talent has been an issue in our country for 30 years. However, while IT has penetrated all levels of our society and economy in recent years, and the demand for IT talent has increased not just in the IT and content industries but in all industries and domains, the shrinking workforce has also meant that the difficulty in meeting that demand has been further worsened.

　Furthermore, the fourth Industrial Revolution driven by AI and IoT is also seen as Society5.0 - the fifth reform of society after hunting, agriculture, industry, and information - and mastery of IT, as well as the ability to create new value based on it, is predicted to become essential knowledge for all people, not just in industry but in all areas of society, culture, and life.

　The government has released a plan to prepare an environment for students to learn with information terminals and digital textbooks in elementary, middle, and high schools by 2020, as well as to make programming a compulsory subject. The enhancement of online education in universities, the establishment of professional universities that nurture students’ IT readiness, as well as the expansion of “recurrent education” for relearning are also preparing an educational environment for the new age.

　Educational businesses run by private enterprises are also becoming active under the general term of EdTech. These are not just enterprises in the education sector; rather, businesses in the transmission, IT, gaming, and toy industries are also joining in one after another to provide hardware and software. The use of apps and digital teaching materials in cram schools, correspondence education, and families is progressing. Participation in programming-education business, such as through the building up of classrooms and the development of teaching tools, is also happening. Services to integrate AI or big data such as educational history into the development of teaching materials are also being provided, and changes in the environment of in-family and extracurricular learning are occurring.　

　However, from the perspective of the computerization of and introduction of IT into education, Japan is an underdeveloped country. The ratio of students to information terminal devices in elementary schools is 6 to 1, and Japan has the lowest level of IT application among the OECD countries. Apart from preparing an IT environment, there are many issues we have to deal with, such as curriculum development and nurturing instructors. While foreign countries place an emphasis on STEM education and computer-science education, including programming, and move forward with the transition to the cloud and the use of social media and big data, Japan is still far from that point.

　As computerization moves into the next stages of digitization and transition to smart technology, it’s a certainty that a series of technological waves - AI, IoT, robots, blockchains, etc. - will advance on the field of education as well.

　As technology has advanced, education has also changed. The invention of printing created textbooks and established the education method of mass teaching. In the 20th century, new media such as film, radio, and television was used in education. In the 21st century, the type of talent that is sought after by society has changed as a result of IT and AI, which will reform education again.

　This new era is one where the world will continue to change. Society will demand that people keep learning throughout their lives, from childhood to old age. We must create places for learning, within and outside schools and in families, workplaces, and regions, and link them together in a coordinated way.

　We need to open up new territory and put effort into the development of a learning and education environment. We need to work on the preparation of infrastructure for IT education, as well as the development of cutting-edge AI and IoT education - both to catch up with the world and to lead it. 

　This is also our experiment in creating the concept of “super-education” - learning that breaks down the framework of a conventional school. We need a design that treats all learners as subjects. In this process, it will be important to combine the wisdom of many parts of society that have an interest in this area, and to take action.

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The “Super-Education Association” has been founded

 ■The “Super-Education Association” has been founded  

 　As digital education and programming education become required in elementary schools, the lack of talent in the fields of IT and AI is increasingly worsening.

　That’s why the civil cooperation network known as the “Super-Education Association” has been created. It focuses on combining education and technology from preschool age to when one becomes a working adult, including recurrent education where relearning is done.

 　Its goal is to create education for the next generation by moving forward with research, demonstrations, public awareness, and policy proposals regarding IT, technology, and education, such as policies to nurture IT talent as well as measures to introduce AI, big data, and blockchains into education.

   The plan is moving forward, with Keio University Associate Professor Nanako Ishido and chairwoman of the NPO CANVAS at the center. It brings together 31 industry groups, such as IT, software, transmission, broadcast, anime, video games, and music. Industry associations such as the Japan Business Federations are also taking part. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the intellectual-property headquarters, and the IT headquarters are also cooperating.

　The public entities working in the digital field, such as in IT, software, or content, are all focusing on developing human resources, but this is the first movement to cut through that. Let’s design an education system for the next generation under private leadership. 

　I am taking part as managing director. As I am also moving forward with new movements, such as the establishment of iU or the establishment of the CiP digital National Strategic Special Zone, I will infuse this flow into this organization.

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