This award will support a six month visit by Dr. Michael J. Marcus, Office of Plans and Policy, U.S. Federal Communications Commission to carry out a collaborative project with Professor Takeshi Hiromatsu, Chair of the Laboratory on Correlation of Information Technology and Society at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST). The project will also involve cooperation with Professor Tadao Saito of the University's Electrical Engineering Department at the Hongo campus and also the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications' (MPT) Communication Research Laboratory in Koganei-shi, Tokyo. Dr. Marcus' research will include a study of Japanese radio spectrum management policy as it relates to technical innovation. His joint research at MPT will include the application of digital signal processing technology to transmitter identification. All countries, including the U.S., are faced with the common problem of how to regulate radio technology to further public interests and control interference between radio systems users. The Japanese have developed a unique system of governmental and nongovernmental organizations to accomplish this task which has never been documented in detail in the English literature. This project will document the interrelationships between these organizations and the impact that these have on technical innovation. Meetings will be held with the various individuals involved from industry, academia and government. The knowledge acquired on the Japanese regulation of radio technology will facilitate U.S. consideration of whether certain aspects might be of benefit in the U.S. Such knowledge will also be helpful to U.S. firms which are considering whether to market new technology in the Japanese market. Additionally, it will be helpful to the U.S. Government in support of negotiations seeking equity in international trade. All of the individuals named above as collaborators are well-known and respected in their area of digital signal processing. It is believed that collaboration between these individuals will continue well past the formal termination of this award.
