Realizing a robust network for the Beyond 5G/6G era

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Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, and KDDI Corporation signed a Basic agreement to standardize the optical network field. The agreement is intended to standardize and promote the use of both companies' strengths in optical network technology. This includes their respective strengths in optical transmission technology and mobile network tech. The goal is to encourage open innovation with partners around the globe and work towards standardization to spread innovative communication techniques centered around all-photonics networking around the globe.

NTT and KDDI have led the research and design of optical networks in Japan for a long time. The companies will collaborate on research and development of an optical communication system with high capacity for domestic backbone transmission lines.

Increasing the transmission capacity

 The Beyond 5G/6G era will see society becoming more information hungry. Therefore, a large amount of information processing is required. It is imperative to increase the transmission capacity and speed of information communication systems, as well as to reduce carbon emissions.

KDDI & NTT will create an optical network with high capacity that is sustainable to meet the challenges of Beyond 5G/6G. In addition, they will encourage research and the development of optical networks via open innovation, spread innovative communications technologies around the world, and work towards standardization.

The agreement has three basic principles: 

All-photonics systems, which transmit and process optical wavelength signal without the need for electrical processing and have low power consumption, are low in latency and feature low power usage. 

2. Standardization of all photonics networks for mobile communications

Beyond 5G/6G will bring new demands for mobile infrastructure. The two companies will promote the standardization of technology to apply the all-photonics network to mobile networks, and will connect the core network, including base stations and the edge and cloud data centers, with the all-photonics network for mobile communication.

Beyond 5G/6G society will need ICT resources that are not only highly reliable but also increase in size. Both companies will encourage standardization in the optical network control and monitoring technology they have been cultivating so far. 

KDDI & NTT want to make a contribution to the global community by helping to implement the all photonics network as a solid communication infrastructure.

Sead Fadilpašić

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.