Will mobile phone charges be cheaper at "radio auctions"? DoCoMo VS "Great Opposition" Rakuten Showdown

The mobile phone industry has been talking about the end of the feature phone, the domestic smartphone "Balmu Dafon" after a long time, but behind that, a big trend is happening.

It is a move to introduce a radio wave (frequency) auction for mobile phones. Until now, the frequency allocation has been done by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, but it will switch to competitive bidding and give it to the vendor who offered the highest price.

All OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries have introduced it except Japan. Why didn't you introduce it until now? Will this make mobile phone charges even cheaper?

The allocation of radio waves was the "Beauty Contest" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

"Beauty pageant"-. The radio wave (frequency) allocation system for Japanese mobile phones, called the "comparative examination method," has been ridiculed. What on earth is that?

In order to be assigned the desired frequency, the mobile phone operator must submit a base station maintenance plan in advance and undergo an examination of the services that can be provided. At that time, the frequency acquisition company is determined by the total points obtained in some items such as "0 points for area development" and "0 points for MVNO (cheap smartphone) promotion". It's a judging method that reminds me of the "artistic points" of sports rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating.

As a result, suspicions about the examination led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications have continued to smolder among major mobile phone companies. In the industry, it was the 1.7GHz band other than Higashi-Meihan that was assigned in 2020 that was talked about as "the examination was too explicit to promote the new entry of Rakuten Mobile." In addition to NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, Softbank, and Rakuten Mobile applied, but Rakuten Mobile acquired the frequency as a result.

ITmedia Mobile (November 27), a media specialized in mobile phones, points out this result as follows: "Why did DoCoMo turn to support'radio auction'? Is there any intention to restrain Rakuten Mobile?"

"Looking at the examination results, while NTT DoCoMo has the highest score for area development, MVNO promotion is 4 points, which is lower than Softbank's 6 points and Rakuten Mobile's 8 points. MVNOs that rent DoCoMo lines are very It seems to be a little mysterious result. "

This time, DoCoMo submitted the material as a case that gives "concerns about the evaluation of a part of various services" to the expert meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. "That's why we have to hold a fair auction."

There is a strong suspicion that frequencies have been assigned based on the arbitrary intention of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. In "Why of Opposition", smartphone journalist Atsushi Ishikawa points out:

"The reality is that the frequency allocation review by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has rarely worked well. After allocating to a new entrant in 2005, Softbank gave up on the newly allocated radio waves and bought Vodafone. In addition, IP Mobile was unable to carry out the plan and gave up. There was also a frequency allocation that could be said to be a foolish measure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications that the remaining EMOBILE was eventually acquired by Softbank. "

However, which mobile phone giant was "opposed" when it came to radio auctions. It was because it cost too much money to bid. Ishikawa continues like this.

"Looking back on the past of frequency allocation, depending on the time,'It's a good idea to assign to this carrier at this timing.'" It is true that there was an atmosphere like ". The carrier side may have said," Since the frequency band assigned this time is not delicious, should I put out a lower plan? " That's why the relationship between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the career's naanaa honeymoon will continue, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications who wants to keep the career under control may not really want to introduce an auction. "