The government adopted a national strategy Monday to turn Japan into the world's most advanced country in the area of information technology within the next five years.

A joint meeting of private-sector experts and Cabinet ministers submitted the IT strategy to Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

During the 6th meeting of the IT Strategy Headquarters, a government task force, and the IT Strategy Council, a 20-member private sector and academic panel, Mori voiced a desire to take quick specific action on programs based on the strategy.

The action programs are to be drawn up by the new IT headquarters, a body consisting of Cabinet ministers and private-sector representatives to be launched under a bill currently being deliberated in the Diet and that would take effect Jan. 6.

The IT strategy, the draft of which was unveiled at a previous meeting, sets a goal to enable at least 30 million households constant access to high-speed networks and 10 million households access to super high-speed networks within five years.

It also states that all Japanese people should be able to constantly access the Internet at a low cost within one year.

As a way to promote fair competition in the telecom industry, the strategy calls for such measures as reviewing various regulations and strictly monitoring dominant telecom carriers.

The strategy also states that the government should consider and implement the fair and transparent allocation of radio frequencies, suggesting the possibility of an auction. In addition, the strategy calls for setting transparent rules to promote the fair use of fiber-optic networks and other telecom facilities.

Nobuyuki Idei, chairman and CEO of Sony Corp., who leads the private-sector panel, expressed his satisfaction, saying the strategy addresses a clear goal to arrange high-speed networks in five years.

However, Idei said the strategy failed to make clear proposals on competition policy in the telecom industry. As a reason, Idei said such a proposal would be confusing since the reorganization of ministries and government agencies is scheduled on Jan. 6.

"We like to leave detailed measures to create a mechanism and a legal framework (on competition policy) to the new IT headquarters," Idei said.

In the meeting, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Kozo Hirabayashi voiced his opinion that creating an independent commission to monitor the telecom industry and the auction of radio frequencies should be examined carefully.

In electronic commerce, the strategy calls for reforming the existing regulations and laws hindering the spread of e-commerce as well as clarifying the existing rules to promote e-commerce by the end of 2002.