MIC revises Terminal Equipment Regulations for IoT access and software updates

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) promulgated MIC Ordinance No. 111, “Ministerial Ordinance to Partially Amend the Regulations for Terminal Equipment, etc.,” in the Official Gazette dated September 24, 2026. This amendment, based on Article 52, Paragraph 1 and Article 70, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Telecommunications Business Act (Act No. 86 of 1984), establishes new requirements for access control functions and software update functions for terminal equipment for dedicated communication line facilities, etc., that use Internet Protocol. The effective date is April 1, 2027.

The subject of the amendment is Article 34-10 of the Regulations for Terminal Equipment, etc. (Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Ordinance No. 31 of 1985), which stipulates the technical standards for terminal equipment for dedicated communication line facilities, etc., connected to equipment for digital data transmission. The ordinance was promulgated in the name of Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Hayayuki Fujii, and MIC Notice No. 346, dated the same day, defines the specific details of the requirements.

New Mandatory Requirements for Access Control Functions and Identification Code Changes

The amended Article 34-10 requires compliance with the following items:

• Item 1: Possession of an access control function (the access control function stipulated in Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access (Act No. 128 of 1999)).
• Item 2: Regarding the identification codes stipulated in Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the same Act, a function to change pre-set codes so they cannot be easily guessed, or the assignment of unique codes for each device, or the implementation of equivalent measures.

New Requirements for Software Updates and Interfaces

• Item 3: Regarding the update of software related to telecommunications functions, possession of functions separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (previously “be capable of updating software”).
• Item 4 (Newly established): Regarding interfaces related to telecommunications functions, the implementation of measures separately notified by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, or the implementation of equivalent measures.
• Item 5: Ability to maintain the settings related to the access control function in Item 1 and the software updated via the function in Item 3, even in the event of a power supply interruption.

Public Notice Prescribes Specific Details of Functions and Measures

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) Public Notice No. 346 (September 24, 2026, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Hayayuki Fujii) establishes the conditions for Item 3 and Item 4 of Article 34-10, effective from April 1, 2027.

• Functions under Item 3: Functions to update software, functions to confirm that the latest software has been installed, and functions to verify the integrity of programs used in software prior to an update.
• Measures under Item 4: Clearly specifying interfaces and their purposes of use (or the purpose of use for each if there are multiple), and disabling interfaces that are not necessary for use.

Transitional Measures and Impact on Telecommunications Carriers and Terminal Manufacturers

Paragraph 2 of the Supplementary Provisions establishes transitional measures, stating that for the technical standards of terminal equipment and private telecommunications facilities for which technical regulations conformity certification, design certification, inspection of terminal equipment connection, or notification of self-confirmation of technical regulations conformity was performed prior to the enforcement date, the previous examples may still be followed.

Telecommunications carriers and terminal manufacturers are required to comply with requirements such as the prevention of identification code guessing, software update functions, and the disabling of unnecessary interfaces by April 1, 2027. While transitional measures apply to existing certified/authorized equipment, new terminals cannot be connected unless they comply with the revised technical standards.

Source: Official Gazette, September 24, 2026, MIC Ministerial Ordinance No. 111 “Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Regulations for Terminal Equipment, etc.,” MIC Public Notice No. 346.