NTT Corporation (NTT) and Fujitsu Limited announced a strategic alliance focused on innovations for the “Realization of a Sustainable Digital Society,” including the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) initiative.
A key focus is on establishing photonics-electronics convergence manufacturing technology. Key points:
- NTT Electronics Corporation (NEL), which develops hardware products utilizing NTT R&D’ s advanced device technologies, will acquire a 66.6% stake in Fujitsu Advanced Technologies Limited (FATEC), which possesses semiconductor mounting technology. The business will be renamed NTT Electronics Cross Technologies Corporation, and commence operations on June 1, 2021.
- By the end of fiscal year 2022, the new company will start to provide compact, power-saving optical communication co-packages (2) that integrate digital coherent optical communications LSIs and COSA (Coherent Optical Sub Assembly) (3) based on silicon photonics technology.
The new company plans introduce a new architecture for applying ultra-high-speed, compact, and low-cost photonics-electronics convergence devices on mobile communication products, as well as a wide range of other ICT products, starting with Fujitsu’s 5G base stations.
NTT and Fujitsu also agreed to promote open optical transport and mobile communications. Specifically, the companies are promoting an open whitebox solutions running general-purpose software that can be supported in multiple vendor environments.
In the field of optical transport communications, Fujitsu and NTT will work together to plan new optical devices based on an open architecture, build system products developed by Fujitsu, and control supply chain management. The two partners aim to expand the business globally with a strategic entry into the data center interconnect market, where demand is expected to grow and the adoption of open architectures is accelerating.
In the mobile communications field, the two companies will study the development and promotion of open interface-based technologies, as well as the development of global businesses based on the results of these activities. The first step is to develop technologies that can be established globally with a variety of partners through avenues including the “5G Open RAN Ecosystem” launched by NTT DOCOMO. For example, the two companies will work on measures to improve performance, which remains a challenge for expanding the adoption of virtualized radio access network (vRAN) and develop control technologies to optimize radio access networks. NTT will use these technologies to further enhance mobile network infrastructure in preparation for full-scale 5G deployment. Technology developed through the collaboration will be used by telecommunications carriers on a global basis through the “5G Open RAN Ecosystem” initiative and other means.
NTT and Fujitsu will work to develop innovative computing technologies by combining the photonics-electronics convergence technology being researched and developed by NTT with technologies developed by Fujitsu for the supercomputer “Fugaku”. By leveraging this technology, the partners will be able to securely link a wide variety of real-world data, efficiently and quickly realize services that create value for diverse stakeholders, while simultaneously contributing to a more sustainable future by maximizing energy efficiency.
Fujitsu has established an “IOWN/6G Platform Development Office” with the aim of developing technologies for the IOWN initiative and the 6G era.
https://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/2021/0426-01.html
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