January 2023 Vol. 21 No. 1

Front-line Researchers

• Shigeto Furukawa, Senior Distinguished Researcher, NTT Communication Science Laboratories

  

  Abstract
  According to the World Report on Hearing issued by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that by 2050, approximately 2.5-billion people (one in four people) in the world will suffer hearing loss, which is considered a major risk factor in developing dementia. Hearing is an indispensable information-processing mechanism for understanding the environment and communicating with people and an important component of the sensory world that is directly linked to emotions. We interviewed Shigeto Furukawa, a senior distinguished researcher at NTT Communication Science Laboratories investigating the auditory mechanism, about the progress of his research activities and his attitude as a researcher.

Rising Researchers

• Yuta Ueda, Distinguished Researcher, NTT Device Innovation Center

  

  Abstract
  The Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) proposed by NTT envisions a future of low-latency, high-quality, and high-speed communications, but making this vision a reality will require a rapid evolution of optical communication devices. In particular, given the increase in network connection devices driven by recent advances in the Internet of Things and the emergence of communication applications with high real-time characteristics, the power consumption and latency of the communications infrastructure have become major issues throughout the world. We talked with NTT Distinguished Researcher Yuta Ueda about “tunable light source by electric-field control” technology as a solution to these issues.

Feature Articles: Transport Network Technology for IOWN Implementation

• Optical Transmission Technology for Practical Implementation of the All-Photonics Network

  

  Abstract
  NTT Network Innovation Center is developing technologies and systems for the practical implementation of an optical transmission network, the key element for implementing the All-Photonics Network (APN), which in turn will support IOWN (the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network). With our next-generation optical transmission network, which is an advance release of the APN, we are working to increase speed and capacity to handle growing communication traffic as well as provide open optical interfaces for connecting various systems and devices without photoelectric conversion to enhance the added value provided by optical networks and develop operations and maintenance technologies for these networks.

• Service Node Architecture Technology for Disaggregated Network Service Functions and Fixed-mobile Convergence Networks

  

  Abstract
  With the goal of increasing the variety of network requirements and desired value added in the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN), our goal is to provide quick network services by providing in-house network functions by using software. This article introduces Beluganoss^®, a network operating system for white box switches, and the Value-added Pluggable Network Platform Technology to achieve this goal.

• Network Control System Configuration Technologies for Advanced Network Operation

  

  Abstract
  To provide services on the All-Photonics Network, which handles traffic with much higher capacity and lower latency than what is currently possible, it is necessary to further improve the quality management of a carrier network. This article describes two technologies being developed at NTT Network Innovation Center. One is the Network Information Collection and Analysis Platform Technology for efficiently collecting traffic-flow statistical information, telemetry, and communication delay for network operation. The other is the Network Control Platform Technology for automating and optimizing network operation and network control.

Regular Articles

• Understanding Desire to Touch Using Large-scale Twitter Data

  

  Abstract
  I and research colleagues investigated people’s desire to touch by collecting and analyzing a large amount of text data that contain phrases such as “want to touch” on Twitter. We revealed the relationship between the body part that people want to touch and the touch gesture. We also revealed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the desire to touch. Specifically, we observed “skin hunger,” i.e., the strong desire for physical communication, and variation of touch avoidance toward objects such as doorknobs. Our results will be beneficial for understanding human behavior as well as for the further development of haptic technology.

Global Standardization Activities

• Standardization Trends in Real-time Communications at 3GPP

  

  Abstract
  Studies and specification work are proceeding at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) on functional enhancements to the IP (Internet protocol) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which is an international standard specifying IP telephone networks provided by telecommunication operators, and on support for real-time communications not limited to IMS functional enhancements. This article provides an overview of IMS functional enhancements in Release 17, the specification work of which was completed in June 2022, and introduces studies and specification work for real-time communications in Release 18 now in progress.

External Awards/Papers Published in Technical Journals and Conference Proceedings

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