May 2020 Vol. 18 No. 5

View from the Top

• Naoyuki Taniguchi, Director, NTT Anode Energy

  

  Overview
  After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japan decided to review its energy and environmental policies from scratch. Accordingly, Japan has been promoting the introduction of renewable energy to replace some of the energy demand supplied by nuclear power and energy-saving technologies to reduce overall demand. Green growth, namely, fostering economic growth by introducing and expanding renewable and other green energies, is a global issue. We asked Naoyuki Taniguchi, director of NTT Anode Energy, about the business strategy of the company, which was established in June 2019 as a strategic company that oversees the energy-related business of the NTT Group.

Front-line Researchers

• Jun-ichi Kani, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories

  

  Overview
  The Government of Japan’s initiative “Society 5.0” envisions the future of Japan. It describes that in that future society, by analyzing an enormous amount of big data using artificial intelligence that exceeds human ability and feeding the results back to humans through robots and other technologies, it will be possible to create new value that could not be created before and provide it to industry and society. We interviewed Jun-ichi Kani, a senior distinguished researcher at NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, who researches and develops network technologies that will support such a future, about his current research and what is the perfect world for researchers.

Feature Articles: All-Photonics Network for Enabling Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN)

• Initiatives Concerning All-Photonics-Network-related Technologies Based on IOWN

  

  Abstract
  With the ongoing rapid digitization of society, various issues are expected to arise in the near future. Accordingly, NTT is advocating the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) and is working with partners to conduct a variety of research and development activities to bring about innovations based on IOWN. The related technologies NTT is working on to create the All-Photonics Network—one of the three components of IOWN—are introduced in this article.

• Ultra-high-capacity Optical Communication Technology

  

  Abstract
  We are researching two new technologies for sustainably and economically responding to the exponentially increasing demand for data communications: (i) optical-fiber technology for space-division multiplexing transmission overcoming the capacity limitations of existing optical fiber and (ii) terabit-class high-speed optical-transmission technology that increases channel speed per wavelength by more than one digit. By integrating new optical-fiber and high-speed optical transmission technologies, we aim to implement a new optical-transmission infrastructure with more than 100 times the potential of current optical fiber.

• Efficiently Accommodating High-frequency-band Wireless Systems by Using Analog Radio-over-fiber

  

  Abstract
  Large-capacity wireless transmission is possible with high-frequency-band wireless systems, but it is necessary to deploy wireless base stations at high density. Under the assumption that the number of wireless systems will increase to meet diversifying needs, the number of wireless base stations to be installed is expected to increase dramatically. At NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, we propose a system configuration that uses analog radio-over-fiber (RoF) technology to enable multiple high-frequency-band wireless systems to share wireless equipment for drastically reducing the number of wireless base stations and their operating loads. This system configuration and its fundamental technology, namely, our remote-beamforming technology, are introduced in this article.

• Optical Full-mesh Network Technologies Supporting the All-Photonics Network

  

  Abstract
  This article introduces the concept of an optical full-mesh network for achieving ultra-low-latency transmission of diverse and large-capacity content in ultra-realistic services and the technologies underlying this network. It also introduces a demonstration of 8K uncompressed video transmission in a large-capacity optical transmission system as an embodiment of the optical full-mesh network concept.

• Network Design Technologies Supporting the All-Photonics Network

  

  Abstract
  This article introduces architecture, topology design, and wavelength design as elemental technologies for efficiently accommodating a massive number of optical paths toward advanced management and control of optical full-mesh networks. It also presents the results of simulations applying these technologies.

Regular Articles

• Advances in PPLN-waveguide-based Monolithic-integration Technology for High-performance Phase-sensitive Amplifiers

  

  Abstract
  Phase-sensitive amplifiers (PSAs) are attracting a great deal of interest because they can break the quantum-limited noise figure of conventional optical amplifiers such as erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. We have been developing a PSA using periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides. This article introduces our recent progress in PPLN-waveguide-based monolithic-integration technology as a promising approach for the practical use of a highly functional PSA.

• Operation-visualization Technology to Support Digital Transformation

  

  Abstract
  NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories (AS Labs) has developed various technologies to improve business operations using personal computers, for example, robotic process automation, annotation technology, and UI (user interface) augmentation technology. Based on this experience, we are researching and developing technologies useful for business-operation analysis. This article introduces the operation-visualization technology developed by AS Labs that supports objective/quantitative business-operation analysis.

Global Standardization Activities

• ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) Report

  

  Abstract
  Because radio waves travel through space across national borders, there can be harmful radio interference between neighboring countries if each country determines how to use radio services on its own, such as in telecommunication and broadcasting. For this reason, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations organization specialized in telecommunication, sets forth the Radio Regulations (RR), a set of international rules for using radio at each frequency and in each region of the world. To revise the RR, concerned parties from all over the world gather at an international conference held about every four years called the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). In Japan, the RR revised at the WRC will be reflected in laws such as the Radio Law. This makes the WRC an extremely important conference for the NTT Group, which provides customers with wireless services and wireless systems, such as mobile telecommunication and wireless local area network (LAN), and uses fixed microwave communication systems, satellite communication systems for remote islands, and disaster-response radio systems for its own networks. In this article, we report on the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19).

Information

• Event Report: ISNTT2019 at NTT Basic Research Laboratories

  

  Abstract
  The International School and Symposium on Nanoscale Transport and phoTonics (ISNTT) is held by NTT Basic Research Laboratories once every two years to cover subjects related to electronic and photonic properties in nanostructures. The 2019 event was held at the NTT Atsugi R&D Center from November 18 to 22.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

• External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings