TOKYO -- The Japanese government will support domestic corporations in their efforts to make 5G (fifth-generation) mobile networks a reality in 2020 ahead of rivals in other countries, paving the way for Japanese technologies to become the global standard.
The Communications Ministry intends to meet with private-sector companies as early as this year to discuss development of 5G technologies. The three big mobile carriers -- NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank -- are expected to participate, as are manufacturers of handsets and base stations, including Panasonic, Sharp and Fujitsu. The ministry may seek funds for development of 5G phones in the fiscal 2015 budget.
