This paper aims to review the process of mobile phone operators agreeing to introduce mobile number portability (MNP) in Japan. A study group formed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimated the proportion of MNP users and analyzed the user benefits and associated costs to...

There are manifold causal linkages between information and communications technologies (ICTs) and social sustainability. In this article, these linkages are classified into three areas: direct improvement of corporate productivity, changed behaviour of people/organizations, and improved...

Digital television is transforming both broadcasting and, as a result of convergence, the larger world of communications. The impending analogue switch-off will have a major impact on households all over the developed world. Digital Broadcasting considers the effects of digital television on the...

Telecommuting, a dispersed style of commuting enabled by developments in info-communication technology, is becoming increasingly popular among Japanese white-collar employees. According to our estimates, 9-14 million employees will telecommute by 2010, which will result in a 6.9-10.9% reduction...

Universal service is governed by a regulatory framework that guarantees nationwide access to basic telephone service over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The ongoing network migration to IP networks, however, poses the question of how the existing framework would accommodate this...

The objective of this book is to present a comprehensive evaluation of the smart revolution, including its social and economic impacts. It proposes a modern framework to help assess how recent Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can contribute to societies as a whole. The authors...

Foreword -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Development of Infrastructure Sharing in the Mobile Market -- Chapter 2. Regulating Online Platforms -- Chapter 3. Interdependency on the Data Platform and its Effect on the Diffusion of Autonomous Driving -- Chapter 4. Video/Visual Content Industry in...