総務省、光回線整備へ負担金検討　５Ｇ利用しやすく

　総務省が、次世代通信規格「５Ｇ」の基幹インフラとなる光ファイバー回線を全国で整備・維持するため、大手携帯電話会社などを対象に負担金制度の導入を検討していることが２１日、分かった。光回線を使ってインターネット接続サービスを提供する携帯会社などが利用者から月数円を幅広く徴収し、山間・離島をはじめ不採算地域に回線を持つ事業者に交付金を出す方向で調整する。
　総務省は今春にも有識者会議を立ち上げ、議論に着手。２０２０年代半ばの制度開始を目指す。現在はＮＴＴ東日本と西日本が提供する固定電話網がユニバーサル（全国一律）サービスとして義務付けられており、携帯・固定の利用者から月２円を徴収している。光回線でもこれを参考に制度の在り方が議論される見通し。（2020/01/21-10:51）

Japan's communications ministry is considering introducing a system to charge internet users a fee so that fiber-optic infrastructure for fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless networks can be constructed and maintained across the country, informed sources said Tuesday.
   Under the plan, major mobile carriers and other companies providing internet services by using fiber-optic lines are expected to collect a small monthly fee from its users.
   With the collected funds, the ministry is considering providing subsidies to businesses managing fiber-optic lines in unprofitable areas, such as mountain areas and remote islands, the sources said.
   The ministry plans to launch a panel of experts in spring this year at the earliest to start related discussions, hoping to introduce the envisaged fee system in the mid-2020s.
   Currently, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp. and NTT West Corp. collect a monthly fee of 2 yen from mobile and fixed-line phone users to maintain their fixed-line networks across Japan. Their networks are designated as one of universal services, which operators are obliged to offer uniformly across the nation.