Japan MIC Public Consultations: 6 GHz Wi-Fi, 5 GHz DFS and 76 GHz Radar Update

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has launched three simultaneous public consultations through the Land Mobile Communications Committee of the Information and Communications Council. The proposals modernize the technical conditions for low-power wireless systems and update the Terminal Equipment Regulations, changes that directly affect any manufacturer placing Wi-Fi devices, automotive radar, IoT modules, or telecommunications terminals on the Japenese market.

Consultation 1 - Japan MIC Public Consultation on 6 GHz Wi-Fi Expansion and 5 GHz DFS Advancement

Case No. 145210702 - Deadline: May 26, 2026

This consultation falls under "Technical conditions necessary for the advancement of low-power wireless systems", specifically within "Technical conditions for the advanced use of wireless LAN systems." It contains two distinct technical reports:

• Technical conditions related to frequency expansion of 6 GHz band wireless LANs - building on Japan's current 5925-6425 MHz allocation (Wi-Fi 6E) and aligning Japan more closely with international Wi-Fi 7 deployments.

• Technical conditions related to the advancement of DFS for 5 GHz band wireless LANs - updating Dynamic Frequency Selection rules to improve coexistence with weather and aeronautical radars.

Consultation 2 - 76 GHz Low-Power Millimeter-Wave Radar Advancement

Case No. 145210707 - Deadline: May 28, 2026

This proposal updates "Technical conditions for the advancement of 76 GHz band low-power millimeter-wave radar", the frequency band widely used for automotive ADAS (adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, autonomous emergency braking) and increasingly for industrial, drone, and people-counting radar sensors.

Consultation 3 - Partial Amendment of the Terminal Equipment Regulations

Case No. 145210701 - Deadline: May 28, 2026

The third consultation proposes a partial amendment to the Regulations for Terminal Equipment (Japanese Ordinance No. 31 of 1985), which governs all devices that connect to public telecommunications networks in Japan, smartphones, routers, modems, IoT gateways, VoIP terminals and more.

These amendments typically affect the JATE certification scope and may introduce updated technical standards, test methods, or conformity-assessment categories.

What This Means for Manufacturers

If you manufacture, import, or certify wireless or telecom products for Japan, these three consultations should be on your regulatory radar — even if you don't plan to submit comments:

• Wi-Fi / WLAN device makers should anticipate revised 6 GHz channel plans and updated DFS test procedures for the 5 GHz band. This may translate into new MIC (Giteki) test campaigns for products currently in development or pending certification.

• Automotive Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers working on 76–81 GHz radar should review the draft technical conditions and assess whether their current designs comply with the proposed advancement criteria.

• IoT, smartphone and telecom-terminal vendors must monitor the Terminal Equipment amendment — past revisions have introduced obligations such as emergency cross-carrier roaming (Ordinance No. 54 of 2025) and security requirements for IoT.

• Certification teams should plan for transition periods. Japan typically grants 6–24 months between adoption and enforcement, but new products approved after the effective date must comply immediately.

  
  

Manufacturers can submit comments directly through the e-Gov portal, or coordinate input through their Registered Certification Body (RCB) or local representative.

Certification Impact Summary

Area	Affected Certification	Likely Impact
6 GHz Wi-Fi expansion	MIC / Giteki (Radio Law) – Article 2 §1 items for low-power data communication	New channels, possible power-level and indoor/outdoor rule changes; re-testing for Wi-Fi 7 readiness
5 GHz DFS advancement	MIC / Giteki – W53/W56 bands	Updated DFS detection thresholds and waveform set; revised test plans for RCBs
76 GHz millimeter-wave radar	MIC / Giteki – Specified radio equipment for radar	New EIRP, occupied bandwidth or spurious emission limits; potential impact on automotive type approval
Terminal Equipment Regulations	JATE (Telecommunications Business Law)	Possible reorganization of conformity categories, updated technical/security standards for terminals connecting to public networks

Timeline and Required Actions

Date	Milestone	Action for Manufacturers
April 22–24, 2026	Consultations officially published on e-Gov	Download draft committee reports (PDF) and assess product portfolio
By May 19, 2026	Internal technical review window	Map impacted SKUs, identify compliance gaps, brief engineering and certification teams
May 26, 2026	Deadline – 6 GHz Wi-Fi / 5 GHz DFS consultation	Submit comments via e-Gov or through your RCB
May 28, 2026	Deadline – 76 GHz radar consultation & Terminal Equipment amendment	Submit comments; finalize transition-period planning
Q3 2026 (expected)	MIC publishes summary of comments + final committee report	Monitor for the final ministerial ordinance
Q4 2026 – 2027 (expected)	Adoption and entry into force of revised ordinances	Update test reports, certification documentation and product labeling

Japan continues to align its wireless framework with international standards (Wi-Fi 7, ICNIRP 2020, IEC 62368) while preserving its strict Giteki / JATE certification model. Manufacturers who track MIC consultations early — rather than waiting for the final ordinance — gain a meaningful lead time in product planning and market access.