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Japan to Tax All Unlicensed Wireless Devices?
Chicken Ranch writes "It's not just about wireless networking. This tax would apply to a range of devices from WLAN to RFID to Cordless Phones to Remote Control Cars. Basically, if it operates in an unlicensed band, the government wants a tribute. So would they still call it an 'unlicensed' band?"
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Japanese consumers already pay a yearly 420 Yen fee for each mobile phone. So they'd have to pay an additional tax for using a Bluetooth headset on the mobile phone they already pay a tax on?
There's no mention of RFIDs which in any case aren't transmitters in the sense of the proposal. They could possibly tax the readers, but then that would mean they'd have to also tax in-store anti-theft devices. Japanese politics being what it is, there's no way I'll risk making any sort of prediction.
Smells like a simple money-grab to me. Those devices are low power and thus only locally change the radio spectrum significantly. Licensed radio was implemented to keep the long range spectrum usable.
Can you believe it. Until the early 21st century, there existed an unlicensed band!
I love how all Slashdot articles have massive amounts of spin on them now.
This is a -proposal-, not a law, not even something someone has said 'I want this to happen'. They are looking into ways to control "illegal" radio stations.
It's quite obvious to anyone that even glances at it that it not only won't stop things that are already illegal, but that it will adversely affect many people it wasn't intended to.
BTW, that 420 yen yearly tax per mobile phone is about $3.50 US. -yawn- As if we don't already spend a hell of a lot more than that in the US. (Hint: It's on your cellphone bill every month.)
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
You don't need a license to own property, but you have to pay property tax.
You don't need a license to buy things, but you have to pay sales tax.
You need a license to drive, but as long as it's not your car you don't have to pay taxes on it.
You need a license to operate a ham radio, but you don't pay any more taxes than if you didn't.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
In France, if you want to use a wireless technoology, the manufacturer (or group of them) have to pay for a license to gain the right to use a certain band of frequence in certain way up to a certain transmission power. There are a few bands where anyone can do anything without the need of a license but at very low power, but some other bands are very expensive (TV, GSM...).
Broadcast anything without license and you risk jail sentence, in particular if you interfere with commercial or military frequencies.
Radiotherapy devices use ISM ("unlicensed") bands. So are they going to charge hospitals and other healthcare providers?
When you have to pay someone to stop `bad things` from happening. "Yeah, you could pay for a license...or you could...you know...`show me some respect`..if you know what I mean.."
Does this tax apply per device? What if you have a WSN consisting of hundreds of wireless sensor nodes?
Government hack #1: "I would sure like to create a new program to help the (insert constituency of choice here). My pollsters show I am weak with (insert demographic that thinks constituency is being mistreated)"
Government hack #2: "That sounds fine, but how would you like to pay for it?"
GH1: "I don't know, how about reducing one of the programs that doesn't do much good for those (insert constituency not represented by GH1)."
GH2: "Stop right there, that underperforming program was part of my platform for change in 1978."
GH1: "Well, what should I do?"
GH2: "Well, some of my telecom lobbyists are concerned that unlicensed spectrum will compete with the spectrum they paid too much for the 1990's. Why don't we pay for your new program by taxing the unlicensed spectrum users. That way, you get your program and I can protect my telecom supporters. After all, nobody knows who the unlicensed spectrum users are right now or which party they lean towards."
GH1: "Huh?"
GH2: "Just vote for it and everything will be OK."
GH1: "Thanks, GH2, this should get me another 2 years of pubic sector bliss."
GH2: Thanks, GH1, same here. All we had to do was raise taxes and stiffle an emerging market."
Because if you are licensed, you pay a tax/fee too..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I'd be really pissed at this.
It is really well timed, the deadline is the day that the bigwigs of wireless in Japan give their talks at the Wireless Expo. Talk about a jab! To me this is bullshit and also not aimed at phones. Look, I have a landline and a mobile phone. The mobile used to cost me $200/mo. but now I've cut back a lot and it is about $100/mo.
But the tax or whatever it is would be a large percentage of the cost of household devices, not just radio control robots (and how do you get them to pay yearly anyway??) but also zigbee stuff, etc. Poof, there goes ubiquitous low-cost sensor nets eh? Speaking of which Japan is probably the leader in rolling out ubiquitous things, they are starting an experiment in September in which two thoroughfares in the Ginza (like Broadway) are embedded with RFID of one kind or another.
My guess is the tax is an attempt to keep track of these things and not let them get too ubiquitous and pesky but not bothering to read the source beyond TFA it might have some other wonderful reasoning behind it, like making money, etc. Probably what will happen I'd guess is that the tax would get shifted to the industry association but who knows. There used to be a thing where all modems had to be modified so they couldn't war dial - only 3 calls per 2 minutes I think? Don't know if that is in effect still or not either.
this is not the unlicensed band tax... this is only a tribute
Looks like they're desperate for $$.
_Vishal www.squad9.com
Oh wait, these are politicians we are talking about...
Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
So... since its to promote a better use of the spectrum I can assume microwave ovens and some wireless home/office phone models should be taxed too. They both also "use" the 2.4GHz band.
Part of this is Japan has a much tighter control on data transmitting devices (gov't wise) than us. You have to get the government to set up your TV...and your internet...
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