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KDDI, NTT, Rakuten Mobile and four other Japanese firms have jointly developed the newly approved ITU-T Y.3335 standard, which will facilitate the global adoption of next-generation all-photonics networks.
Seven Japanese telecoms and technology companies have secured approval from the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector) for their proposed framework for a global standard that would contribute to the creation of an all-photonics network (APN) spanning multiple operators and countries.
KDDI, NTT, Rakuten Mobile, NEC, 1Finity, Oki Electric Industry and Sumitomo Electric Industries have announced that ITU-T Y.3335, the recommendation for low-latency, energy-efficient networks supporting the AI era, was approved on August 13.
The seven companies jointly developed the standard in order to establish a common framework based on broad international consensus. This will allow APN technology to be adopted and used on a global scale by operators and countries outside Japan.
"The approval from ITU-T provides a common framework for APN to be shared globally, making it easier to build APN services spanning multiple operators and enabling the use of high-speed, energy-efficient communication services even across geographically distributed sites," the companies said in a joint statement.
APN technology uses light to transmit data at high speeds while significantly reducing energy consumption. This provides the speed and efficiency required for AI workloads. It is expected to form the basis of next-generation networks globally, including physical AI, by supporting the real-time processing of data obtained from sensors and robots in remote locations.
The companies stated that the newly approved ITU-T Y.3335 framework defines the network configurations and technical requirements for setting up low-latency, energy-efficient communication paths between different operators.
"It systematically organizes accumulated knowledge of APNs and research outcomes on photonic network federation technology, independently of any specific organization or implementation method," they added.
Meanwhile, the seven companies said they will continue to work on standardization activities in Japan and other countries, using network technologies and standard expertise developed locally.
They are also contributing to the development of a further ITU-T recommendation on functional architecture for low-latency and energy-efficient networks, which is targeted for completion by October 2028. This forms part of ongoing efforts to encourage the global adoption of APN in order to support AI workloads.
The companies described APN as a strategic pillar of the initiative by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to build the next generation of information and communications infrastructure for an AI-driven society. This initiative is part of the ministry's Beyond 5G Promotion Strategy 2.0.
The IOWN Global Forum is leading a large part of the foundational work in developing APN technology and has been creating shared technical documents outlining the APN's architecture and functional requirements.
Research and development into photonic network federation technology is also underway. This technology enables stable interconnection between APNs operated by different providers, with the aim of developing and evaluating interconnection methods using actual equipment.
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