Tokyo vice governor aims to develop 5G infrastructure

Tokyo Vice Gov. Manabu Miyasaka, a former president of Yahoo Japan Corp., has vowed to spread 5G advanced wireless communications services.

In a recent interview, Miyasaka, who assumed his current post late last month, unveiled a plan to work on spreading 5G so that individuals and enterprises can try to develop new businesses using information-communications technology (ICT).

“We would like to back challengers as a whole society,” the 51-year-old Miyasaka said.

He was named an adviser to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in July and came up with basic strategies to spread 5G to help solve social issues and achieve economic growth.

Classifying the internet as basic infrastructure, the same as roads and railroads, the strategies include plans for the metropolitan government to open up buildings and other facilities that are owned by Tokyo to major mobile phone carriers and promote the installation of base stations.

Miyasaka aims to develop communications infrastructure and speed up moves to digitize the capital, including education utilizing ICT, telemedicine systems and the realization of autonomous driving.

He noted that while Japan managed to become the leading country in the electronics field through development of the semiconductor industry and creation of home appliances, it “failed to become a top internet country.”

Warning that China’s development in the ICT field is prominent, Miyasaka said the biggest issue with Japan is “people,” as the proportion of ICT human resources in the government is “too small.”

Pointing to the arrival of an era of the “internet of things,” Miyasaka said, “We must seize the opportunity this time.”

He stressed that he will work on such measures “with speed.”

While Miyasaka has worked in and led the information technology field for a long time, he said that he has always hoped to improve the community.

“While I’m not an expert on ICT, I am good at picking people with knowledge (about ICT) and at connecting people,” Miyasaka said.

Noting that he is interested in climate change, including global warming, Miyasaka said, “Although (the situation linked to the environment) will be tough for our grandchildren, we will be able to achieve a sustainable community by using digital (technology) as a tool.”

He expressed a willingness to focus on playing a role that connects mobile phone companies, startups throughout the world, individuals and the government by using the personal connections that he has built over the years.

“It is important to build a community embracing challenges, where many challengers gather,” he said.

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