Current Status and Future Prospects for PHS Reviewed

On December 19, the 4th General Meeting of the PHS MoU Group was held at the Toranomon Pastoral in Tokyo. A total of 60 persons participated in the meeting, including seven persons of three members in Indonesia, where the Indonesia PHS Forum has recently been formed.

In his opening address to the meeting, guest speaker Mr. Seiji Tanaka, Director-General, Telecommunications Bureau of MPT Japan, said: “The rate of increase in PHS subscriber numbers is, at present, stagnant. However, PHS, with its data transmission and other excellent capabilities, will come to be used much more widely because of the strong demand for mobile computing. I urge that the PHS MoU Group to promote further penetration of PHS.”
Dr. Hiroshi Ishikawa, Chairman of PHS MoU Group, presided over the meeting. First, six companies were approved new Signatory memberships, bringing the total number of the members to 85. The new Signatory Members are: Kanematsu Corp. (Japan); NEC do Brazil S.A.; TelecomAsia Corporation Public Company Limited (Thailand); Infocomm International Corp. (Taiwan); PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia; and Dassault Automatismes et Telecommunications (France).
It was noted that Mr. Yoshio Iwayama was appointed the new Secretary General of PHS MoU Group as the successor to Mr. Takeshi Yoneda. There then followed reports on the Group’s activities for the first half (July-December) of the fiscal year 1997. Mr. Yoshio Iwayama, Secretary General of the PHS MoU Group, presented an overall review. And reports on activities of the working groups were made by: Mr. Takuo Kashiwamura, Chairman of the Technical WG; Mr. Shigeru Mori, Chairman of the Business WG; and Mr. Yoji Naito, Chairman of the Promotion WG. The chairmen also reported on each WG’s plans for the second half of the fiscal year 1997 (January through to June 1998).
Mr. Pinudji Rahardjo, PHS Implementation Team Leader of PT Telekominikasi Indonesia and Vice Chairman of PHS Forum Indonesia , reported on the activity and establishment of the PHS Forum in Indonesia where public PHS services are scheduled to launch in this year.
Revisions to the PHS MoU Technical Specifications, particularly those aimed at enhancing the PHS-WLL (Wireless Local Loop) system were presented. The revised specifications have been published for sale under the title of “New and revised PHS MoU TS (July 1997).”
The meeting also approved the establishment of a new working group, the “Next-Generation PHS Study WG.” This WG will study about what and how the next generation of PHS should be under the circumstance of the next generation mobile communication IMT-2000.
The next PHS MoU Group General Meeting will be held in either June or July outside Japan.