October 2026 Vol. 24 No. 10

View from the Top

• Kou Ikeda, Representative Member of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT Urban Solutions, Inc.

  

  Abstract
  The NTT Urban Solutions Group promotes urban development that integrates information and communication technology, real estate, energy, and environmental technologies under the banner “Connecting you, the community, and the future.” The Group is initiating real-estate projects nationwide aimed at addressing community challenges and increasing regional value. As the Group enters its eighth year, we spoke with Kou Ikeda, president and chief executive officer of NTT Urban Solutions, about the significance of the NTT Group’s involvement in urban development and its future outlook. The topics that we discussed include the development of NTT Hibiya Tower in Hibiya, an area with deep ties to the NTT Group, the concept of “Photonics-Driven Urban Development powered by IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network),” and the real-estate development, design, management, and operations projects that the Group has undertaken across Japan.

Front-line Researchers

• Masaaki Nagata, Senior Distinguished Researcher, Communication Science Laboratories, NTT, Inc.

  

  Abstract
  Translation by generative artificial intelligence (AI) using large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Gemini has become a part of everyday life. This development rests on a long history of evolution that started with rule-based and statistical translation before transitioning to neural machine translation and, recently, LLM-based translation. We spoke with Masaaki Nagata, a senior distinguished researcher at NTT Communication Science Laboratories, who has witnessed this transition from the forefront of research, about the breakthroughs that made LLM translation possible and the nature of his current research as reasoning models and AI agents become mainstream.

Rising Researchers

• Ryo Koma, Distinguished Researcher, Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, NTT, Inc.

  

  Abstract
  Addressing the surge in data traffic between datacenters and the growing demand for edge computing, driven by the rapid spread of artificial intelligence, has become urgent. To facilitate further service expansion, in addition to the development of datacenter networks using the ultra-low-latency, high-capacity All-Photonics Network promoted by NTT, it is essential to implement transmission systems that balance cost-efficiency with high-capacity communications. We spoke with Distinguished Researcher Ryo Koma at NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, a leading figure in the field of this next-generation network technology, regarding these circumstances.

Feature Articles: NTT Research 2.0

• NTT Research 2.0: Bringing Silicon Valley Spirit to the NTT Group

  

  Abstract
  Silicon Valley offers many examples of startups emerging from fundamental research at universities and other academic institutions. Over the past seven years, NTT Research has produced potentially impactful technologies through its fundamental research activities in Silicon Valley. Transformative advancements, such as those in artificial intelligence, are reshaping society, underscoring the need to revisit research priorities in step with a changing world. In this article, we present a perspective on how NTT Research can contribute to the continued growth of the NTT Group over the next decade.

• From Research to Reality—Scale Academy: NTT Research’s New Business Incubator Launched in NTT Research 2.0, and Its First Project SaltGrain

  

  Abstract
  Discoveries born from basic research only become true innovation when they are implemented in society. Marking its seventh year, NTT Research has launched Scale Academy, an incubator designed to transform scientific discoveries into market value. This article introduces the new mandate driving this initiative and the data security possibilities opened up by its first project SaltGrain™.

• Programmable Photonics—Writing Functions onto Blank Devices with Light

  

  Abstract
  We introduce a novel approach to programmable photonics that enables the real-time writing of optical device functions (programs) using light. We created a device that is a blank slate; it has no structure and no functionality at the time of fabrication. Yet by illuminating its surface with optical patterns, we can write arbitrary functions directly onto it during operation. It thus becomes possible to implement a wide variety of complex functions on a single chip. This technology is expected to be applied in optical computing and quantum photonics.

• ACIS: Hemodynamic Control System for Treating Acute Heart Failure

  

  Abstract
  The Medical & Health Informatics Laboratories at NTT Research is developing an autonomous therapeutic system for the clinical management of acute heart failure. By integrating treatment algorithms that coordinate pharmacological therapies and medical devices with Bio Digital Twin technology capable of reproducing patient-specific cardiovascular conditions, we aim to establish a novel medical technology that assists clinicians in complex therapeutic decision-making. This article introduces the clinical background, technical overview, and ongoing efforts toward the clinical translation of this system.

• New Opportunities for Nonlinear Optics in Thin-film Lithium Niobate

  

  Abstract
  This article reviews opportunities for enhanced performance in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), where the interacting fields can be confined to the scale of a wavelength between 200–1000 nm. It focuses on the engineering of nonlinear waveguides in TFLN, which can leverage a combination of strong interactions and dispersion engineering to develop qualitatively new operating regimes.

Feature Articles: Keynote Speeches and R&D on Access Networks Presented at Tsukuba Forum 2026

• New Horizons Opened Up by Access Networks: Creating New Value and Contributing to a Sustainable Society

  

  Abstract
  We at NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories conduct research and development on access networks connecting customers and NTT buildings. The environment surrounding access networks has been undergoing dramatic changes; therefore, we have been working tirelessly to create new value and contribute to a sustainable society. This article introduces our vision called “New Horizons Opened Up by Access Networks” and Tsukuba Forum 2026 that exhibited the latest technologies in the access field.

• NTT Laboratories Aiming to Be a Center of Excellence for Research and Development Focused on Photonics and AI through Social Implementation of IOWN, tsuzumi, and Optical Quantum Computers

  

  Abstract
  This article is based on the keynote speech given by Shingo Kinoshita, NTT senior vice president, head of research and development planning, at Tsukuba Forum 2026 held on May 27−28, 2026. It introduces the strategic themes of NTT laboratories: IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network), NTT’s generative artificial intelligence model tsuzumi, and optical quantum computers.

• Research and Development Initiatives to Construct Future Access Networks

  

  Abstract
  NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories (AS Labs) conducts research and development (R&D) to support access networks across the fields of optical and wireless communications, infrastructure facilities, and operations. In response to the changing environment surrounding access networks, this article presents AS Labs’ vision for future access networks and describes the key technical challenges and major R&D initiatives in each technology domain for achieving that vision.

• Wireless Access Technologies for Connect and Sense

  

  Abstract
  NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories is advancing research on Cradio^®, a set of multi-radio proactive control technologies designed to provide seamless and reliable wireless communications in the 6G (sixth-generation mobile communications system) and IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) era. This article presents the current status of research on CONNECT, which provides reliable wireless connectivity, and SENSE, which enables awareness of the surrounding physical environment through radio signals, both enabled by Cradio. It also introduces research and development technologies aimed at further advancing these capabilities. Together, these technologies have the potential to make future wireless access networks an adaptive infrastructure for both communications and awareness of the physical world.

• Optical Access Network Technologies for the AI Era

  

  Abstract
  Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced dramatically. Its adoption across a wide range of industries is improving operational efficiency and accelerating business transformation. To prepare for its widespread adoption, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories is conducting research and development of optical access network technologies. This article provides an overview of the impact AI will have on optical access networks and outlines NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories’ research directions and related technologies.

Regular Articles

• High-efficiency InGaAsP Laser Power Converters for Optical Wireless Power Transmission

  

  Abstract
  Optical wireless power transmission (OWPT) requires efficient and reliable receiver devices to improve end-to-end system efficiency. We developed a 1-cm² single-junction InGaAsP (indium gallium arsenide phosphide) laser power converter optimized for 1064-nm laser illumination. By combining wavelength-matched absorption with a thick surface electrode that suppresses resistive loss under high-current operation, the device achieved 42% conversion efficiency at 4.0 W·cm⁻². System-level estimates indicate that this efficiency could increase electrical output and reduce receiver area in long-distance OWPT. We also discuss electron-irradiation tolerance and laser-induced recovery as important reliability factors for space-related OWPT applications.

• Positive-unlabeled AUC Maximization under Distribution Shift

  

  Abstract
  Maximizing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) is a common approach to imbalanced binary classification. With current AUC maximization methods, it is usually assumed that training and test data distributions are identical and require labeled positive and negative data. However, in real-world applications, distribution shifts often occur, and labeled negative data are difficult to collect due to privacy concerns or the need for high expertise to annotate them. To overcome these limitations, my colleagues and I previously proposed a distribution shift adaptation method for maximizing the AUC that learns classifiers from positive and unlabeled data in the training distribution and unlabeled data in the test distribution, which do not overlap with the test data used for evaluation. We consider two types of distribution shifts: positive distribution shift and covariate shift. Under each shift, we theoretically show that the test AUC can be rewritten using only the available data, which enables classifier learning by maximizing the rewritten AUC.

Global Standardization Activities

• Report of the Third Meeting of ITU-T Study Group 5—Spotlighting Standardization Activities on Watt-bit Collaboration and Product Category Rules for Carbon Footprint of Software

  

  Abstract
  The International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 5 (SG5): “Environment, climate action, circular economy and electromagnetic fields” aims to develop international standards to promote an environmentally sustainable, resilient, and inclusive telecommunications/information and communication technology (ICT) sector. It focuses on enabling safe, resilient, efficient, and responsible ICT development through global standardization. This article reports on the deliberations at the third meeting of ITU-T SG5 for the 2025−2028 study period, held in Sophia Antipolis, France, 9−18 June 2026, spotlighting the approval of two new work items: the watt-bit collaboration framework and product category rules for carbon footprint of software.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

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