TOKYO (Nikkei)--Japan is a world leader in the field of ubiquitous network access, or the capacity to connect to information networks via a variety of means, including cellular phones, digital consumer electronics and car navigation systems, NEC Corp. (6701) President Akinobu Kanasugi said Monday at the Nikkei Global Information Summit.

Japan is also rated No. 1 in the world in price and communications speed of broadband network services by the International Telecommunication Union, said Kanasugi.

It will become increasingly important to enhance the ease of ubiquitous network access, and the key to realizing this is digital ID, he continued.

Digital ID covers such technologies as biometric personal identification, smart cards containing personal identification information, IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), which increases the number of IP addresses exponentially, and smart tags.

Kanasugi also pointed out the need for the Japanese government to work harder to strengthen the nation's information security and make necessary legal changes.

In addition, he emphasized the need for Japan to make the most of its advanced ubiquitous network access environment and play a leading role in the standardization of related technologies.

Kanasugi said it is important that Japan cooperate with South Korea, Singapore and other Asian countries that have advanced broadband network environments, and set an example for the rest of the world.