Japan, China, S. Korea Agree to Cut International Roaming Fees

May 29, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese, Chinese and South Korean communications ministers agreed Monday to reduce international roaming fees.

International roaming enables people to use their mobile phones outside their countries.

High fee levels are becoming an obstacle to an increased use of such service, Japanese communications minister Seiko Noda said.

The three ministers, meeting in Tokyo, agreed to ask mobile phone carriers in their countries to lower international roaming fees.

They also agreed to cooperate in technology development and standardize frequency bands to launch fifth-generation, or 5G, mobile communications service at an early date.

The 5G technology will allow data transmissions tens to hundred times faster than the current fourth-generation telecommunications, an advantage that can be used in a wide range of fields, including security and telemedicine.

Communications ministers from Japan, China and South Korea last met in 2011. Monday's meeting was chaired by Noda. Jiji Press