White Spaces in Japan

Hajime Yamada and I posted a public comment to the MIC in Japan that the 770-806 MHz band for field pickup (FPU) is wasted. Since most FPUs are now using 5.8GHz band and higher, 800 MHz band is used only for marathon broadcasting, less than twenty times per year.

So we commented that the MIC should disclose the data of usage of 800 MHz band so as to open the unused spectrum for secondary uses. It's much easier than American white spaces, because the programs of marathon are planned yearly. The MIC replied that it is difficult to open the band without disclosing the data.

They are reluctant to disclose the data because the usage rate would be less than 1/1,000,000,000. However, if the MIC auctioned the wasted spectrum, they could get $4.5 billion. It's their good chance to compensate the costly DTV transition.