The Future We Aim for by Enhancing the "Power to Connect"

All-Photonics Network Achieving Both Digital Twin and Carbon Neutrality

In the Beyond 5G era, where everything is connected by telecommunications, we believe that the "Digital Twin" will become an important mechanism for society, linking physical space (real world) and cyberspace (virtual space) capabilities to analyze the current situation and predict the future. It will bring about major changes in urban design, personal lifestyles, and many other aspects.
In a society where everything is connected by telecommunications, enormous amounts of data processing are required. Recently, the volume of global data distribution (IP traffic) has increased dramatically, hence, the power consumption of IT-related equipment for processing data has been on the rise accordingly. It is necessary, therefore, to improve transmission capacity, enhance data processing ability, and reduce power consumption in order to achieve both Digital Twin and carbon neutrality. An All-Photonics Network is an important key technology for solving this issue.

In current network communication, signals are converted from optical to electrical and from electrical back to optical.
However, an all-photonic network achieves ultra-high speed, low cost, and low power consumption by transmitting signals in their optical form without undergoing these conversions. Throughout our 60 years of research and development in undersea optical cables, we have cultivated three strengths in the field of optical communication. These strengths are long-distance transmission capable of spanning the Pacific Ocean, high-capacity transmission capable of handling the growing data traffic associated with Internet development, and a high reliability to withstand operation in the harsh environment of the seabed for many years. By leveraging these three strengths, we aim to establish a strong All-Photonics Network.
Furthermore, in addition to advancing our in-house research and development efforts, we are promoting open innovation in collaboration with worldwide partners, aiming for the standardization of transmission methods for All-Photonics Networks and their application to mobile networks.

The realization of an All-Photonics Network will serve as a catalyst for various Digital Twin society innovations, accelerating the emergence of high-value and practical services and platforms that the world will demand in the future.
On the next page, our initiatives are introduced as specific examples of services and platforms that are created by enhancing the "power to connect."

We want to shape the future together with people, while empathizing with their aspirations

KDDI has aimed to provide seamless communication to its customers as a mission of a telecommunications company.
Nevertheless, to offer even more pleasure, surprise, and inspiration, we must further evolve our communication services.
In doing so, we believe that it's important not only to focus on technological innovation but also to empathize with our customers. This involves understanding the desires and aspirations of various people, then combining new technologies to smoothly present them with options. This is the company vision we strive for.
The definition of happiness has changed from in the past when everyone was seeking material wealth. Now, we believe that realizing our aspirations according to our own values is what makes us happy. Communications can surely be of help for people in realizing their individual aspirations. We will continue to evolve the power to connect customers by empathizing with them in all aspects of our business, communication platforms, and new services.

Realization of "connecting more and always" with Starlink from space

KDDI has been a key player in Japan's satellite telecommunication services for over 60 years. In 2021, we partnered with Starlink, SpaceX's satellite telecommunication service, which is driving the next generation of space business. The partnership has expanded the possibilities of communication more than ever, bringing us much closer to the realization of a world in which communication is integrated into every aspect of our lives.
In the event of a large-scale disaster, communications are essential for emergency rescue calls, safety confirmation, damage assessment, and support activities. Even if terrestrial lines are unavailable during a disaster, communication lines can be secured by using Starlink via satellite.
In the Nakatsugawa area of Chichibu City, an au mobile communication environment has been secured using Starlink, with supplies delivered by remote autonomous drone flight. This initiative aims to provide livelihood support during the winter period to local residents in the Nakatsugawa area of Chichibu City, where logistics were disrupted by a landslide in September 2022. We have delivered up to 4 kg of food, daily necessities, medicines, and other supplies multiple times by drone to support the lives of local people.

Efforts for "Connecting and protecting lives" in everyday life

Not only in disasters, but also in everyday life, there are life-threatening social issues to be avoided, such as accidents involving cars and bicycles. KDDI has developed a function that uses smartphone location data to notify the respective drivers of bicycles, motorized vehicles, and automobiles when they approach the same intersection. This is a Digital Twin initiative that uses information gathered from the physical space to make predictions in cyberspace, then feeds it back into the physical space again.
With communication platforms, we can deliver a sense of security to people and protect their lives. We will continue to strive to provide a communication environment that connects anytime, anywhere.

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