October 2018 Vol. 16 No. 10

View from the Top

• Jun Sawada, President and Chief Executive Officer, NTT

  

  Overview
  Ranking 20th in this year’s “Brand Finance Global 500,” NTT has built up a global corporate brand and firmly established its position in the world. Jun Sawada, NTT President and Chief Executive Officer, states that a further transformation is needed to ensure growth in both the domestic and international markets. We asked him about his beliefs and management principles in light of this statement.

Feature Articles: Global Research and Development Activities by the NTT Group

• NTT Research and Development Efforts Supporting Global Business Expansion

  

  Abstract
  Global business is one of the pillars of growth of the NTT Group, and it has been expanding a great deal due to factors such as mergers and acquisitions. Research and development (R&D) efforts to support that growth are also expanding in various forms. The Feature Articles in this issue introduce examples of the R&D efforts underway at operating companies of the NTT Group in various regions around the world.

• Initiative Concerning Global Service Development by NTT Communications

  

  Abstract
  NTT Communications has established bases in over 120 cities in more than 40 countries and regions, where it provides information and communication technology services on a global scale. The network services it provides cover an area exceeding 190 countries and regions. At the company’s Technology Development department, we have set service development of new technologies as one of our missions and are developing state-of-the-art technologies while verifying developed technologies and evaluating their performance. In this article, we introduce an example of global service development by NTT Communications.

• Dimension Data: Enabling Our Clients’ Digital Transformation Journey

  

  Abstract
  There are emerging and disruptive technology domains that are driving the formation of the next generation of digital enterprises. The Group CTO Office at Dimension Data (part of the NTT family since 2010) investigates and tracks these emerging technology trends to assist our business units in developing client solution strategies to address the impact these technology domains will have on our clients’ digital enterprise strategy. This article explores the opportunities around artificial intelligence and machine learning, Internet of Things, and blockchain, and highlights Dimension Data’s capability to provide the full stack and underlying infrastructure to truly enable these disruptive technologies for our clients.

• SuSI (Supported Smart Innovation) Leads Strategic Innovation by everis

  

  Abstract
  Headquartered in Spain and a member of the NTT DATA Group since 2014, everis is a multinational firm dedicated to consulting and outsourcing in all sectors, with 19,000 professionals in 16 countries across Europe, the USA, and Latin America. This article introduces SuSI (Supported Smart Innovation), a corporate unit that leads the company’s innovation strategies.

• Open Innovation Strategy Pursued by NTT DATA Italy

  

  Abstract
  NTT DATA Italy is adopting an open innovation strategy and pursuing collaboration with clients, universities, and startups. The company is focusing particularly on innovation with clients and utilizing an idea management platform called IdeaHUB, where employees with good ideas can post their ideas and gain feedback on them. This article introduces these research and development activities.

• CLOUDWAN: NTT i³ Software-defined Wide Area Network Solution for Edge Computing

  

  Abstract
  Since its establishment in 2013, NTT Innovation Institute, Inc. (NTT i³) has been developing technologies in the fields of cloud computing and security. Today, technology trends are entering a new stage with the advent of software-defined networking, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. This article introduces CLOUDWAN as a software-defined wide area network solution developed by NTT i³. CLOUDWAN provides functions for not only virtual private networks and network functions virtualization but also an edge computing solution through an application delivery function targeting CLOUDWAN’s terminal devices at customer premises.

Feature Articles: 5G Field Trials toward Social Implementation

• Overview of 5G Field Trials toward Social Implementation, and Experimental Trials of 5G in the Entertainment Area

  

  Abstract
  The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan began field trials of fifth-generation mobile communications systems (5G) in fiscal year 2017. This effort is aimed at developing a new market through social implementation of 5G. These Feature Articles explain the results of experimental trials conducted by NTT DOCOMO and NTT Communications. In this article, a brief overview of the project is outlined, and some experimental examples concerning applications of 5G in the entertainment area are introduced.

• 5G Field Trials in the Smart City and Medical Service Areas toward Social Implementation of 5G

  

  Abstract
  In this article, we describe two examples of field trials contracted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan concerning application of fifth-generation mobile communications systems (5G). The first example was in the area of smart city/smart area and was focused on providing a safe and secure society. The results of experimental trials confirmed that the transmission and aggregation of high-resolution video to a monitoring center enabled facility monitoring and wide-area monitoring in places where many people gather such as public facilities and sports events. The second example was in the medical area and involved the provision of remote medical services. Video interviews conducted via a high-resolution television conference system and multiple high-resolution videos obtained for diagnosis were simultaneously transmitted between a general hospital in a city and a rural clinic.

• Field Trials of Use Cases in High Mobility Environment toward Social Implementation of 5G

  

  Abstract
  Experimental trials of use cases of fifth-generation mobile communications systems (5G) in high mobility environments exceeding 90 km/h were carried out as part of the 5G Field Trials initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. These trials were conducted to evaluate the transmission and distribution of high-presence, high-resolution video and audio content of sightseeing information, news, advertisements, and entertainment content by 5G for passengers in cars traveling on highways and in trains traveling on a conventional line.

Regular Articles

• High-accuracy SS-OCT Thickness Measurement Using Refractive Index Dispersion Adaptation

  

  Abstract
  Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) is a technique to capture tomographic images of moving samples at high speed with high resolution at the level of several tens of micrometers. We have developed highly precise thickness measuring instruments used in factory automation by using the SS-OCT technique based on a KTa_1-xNb_xO₃ (potassium tantalate niobate) deflector, which is an optical switch device used for optical communication. However, since the principle of SS-OCT is to measure the time the light reciprocates in the sample (by converting it to the frequency of the beat signal between the reference light and the sample reciprocating light), there is a problem in that the thickness measurement value of the sample varies depending on the wavelength of light due to the refractive index wavelength dispersion of the sample. To solve this problem, we modified the beat signal according to the dispersion of the sample by signal processing. As a result, we confirmed that fluctuation of the thickness measurement value was suppressed even when using light of different wavelengths.

• QoE Visualization and Prediction Model for QoE Improvement

  

  Abstract
  The use of smartphones continues to spread, and smartphone services are becoming increasingly diverse. In response to these trends, NTT Network Technology Laboratories is researching quality of experience (QoE)-centric operation, which takes into consideration the effect of network quality on the QoE of services. In this article, we summarize a QoE visualization and prediction model, which is one of the components of QoE-centric operation. We also explain how the concept of co-created quality enables all actors in a network to contribute to QoE improvement by providing service providers or users with visualized information that is the output of this model.

Global Standardization Activities

• ICT Standardization Trends for Disaster Relief, Network Resilience, and Recovery by ITU-T

  

  Abstract
  The Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 led to standardization of resilient information and communication technology (ICT) such as disaster relief systems, network resilience, and recovery measures by the International Telecommunication Union - Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). Additionally, use cases of resilient ICT services/systems in several countries have been summarized and reported in ITU-D (ITU Telecommunication Development Sector). This article reports on the recent progress in standardization related to resilient ICT in the ITU.

Practical Field Information about Telecommunication Technologies

• Snow-stopper Pole as a Countermeasure for Preventing Snow Damage to Utility Poles

  

  Abstract
  NTT works diligently to inspect and maintain equipment to ensure that information and communication services can be provided to customers. Utility poles also require maintenance, as they can incur damage caused by the outdoor environment, including the effects of heavy snowfall. This article presents a countermeasure to reduce the amount of damage that occurs due to snow loading. This is the forty-eighth article in a series on telecommunication technologies.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

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