[{"description":"BEREC Study trip to Japan yannick.stephan Tue, 03/11/2026 - 10:27 Latest News From 26 to 30 October, BEREC’s leadership visited Japan on a study trip aimed at strengthening international relations and exchanging experience with key partners from government, industry, research and academia. The delegation was led by BEREC Chair Marko Mismas (AKOS, Slovenia) and was made up of Vice-Chairs Alejandra de Ituarriaga (CNMC, Spain), Michel Van Bellinghen (BIPT, Belgium), Sarah Jacquier-Pelissier (Arcep, France), Giacomo Lasorella (AGCOM, Italy), Klaus Steinmaurer (RTR, Austria) and Robert Mourik (ComReg, Ireland). The representative of participants without voting rights, Milan Radulovic (EKIP, Montenegro), and the Director of the BEREC Office, Verena Weber, also joined the delegation. The visit was part of BEREC’s broader efforts to deepen dialogue with international stakeholders and to gather first-hand insight into developments in advanced digital and telecommunications markets. Japan, as a global leader in connectivity, technology and research, offered an ideal setting for discussions on the future of electronic communications and digital policy. Exchanges with public institutions During the visit, BEREC’s delegation met with representatives of the European Union Delegation to Japan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Conversations focused on the broader policy and regulatory landscape, shared priorities in connectivity, digital transformation and emerging technologies, and EU–Japan trade links, with a particular emphasis on digital matters. Discussions with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications covered developments in fixed broadband, including fibre deployment, digital infrastructure development and international submarine cables, as well as trends in Japan’s mobile communications policy, notably in relation to 5G and 6G. Developments in non-terrestrial networks, Japan’s policy approach to network resilience and AI governance, including the Hiroshima AI Process and the activities of the Friends Group, were also addressed. Dialogue with industry BEREC’s leadership also met with Sony, SoftBank, NTT, Rakuten and Ericsson. Discussions with industry provided an opportunity to exchange views on market developments, innovation in telecommunications and digital services, investment in network infrastructure, future network technologies, cloud-native solutions, Open RAN, and security and sustainability. At NTT, the company’s vision for the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) was also touched on, with developments in next-generation communications infrastructure and future network architecture highlighted. In addition to the meetings organised, the delegation visited a dedicated briefing facility at SoftBank’s headquarters, where guests were presented with advanced technologies and solutions developed by SoftBank and its partners. The visit included live demonstrations and interactive presentations, covering areas such as high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), non-terrestrial networks, artificial intelligence, 5G and digital transformation. Perspectives from academia and research The BEREC leadership also met with representatives from the University of Tokyo and the RIKEN Centre for Computational Science. These visits offered academic and research perspectives on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, data-driven innovation and the future development of digital ecosystems. The study trip underlined the importance of continued international engagement for BEREC, particularly amid rapid technological change and growing global interdependence in the electronic communications sector. The visit also reaffirmed BEREC’s commitment to exchanging knowledge and best practices with public authorities, market players and research institutions worldwide.