NTT East, Sakura Internet, and Equinix Japan to Explore PoC Connecting Hokkaido/Ishikari and Tokyo Using IOWN APN

Equinix Japan (President: Kuniko Ogawa, hereinafter "Equinix"), NTT East Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Naoki Shibuya, hereinafter "NTT East"), which provides communication infrastructure such as landline phones and fiber optic lines in the eastern Japan area, and Sakura Internet Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka, President: Kunihiro Tanaka, hereinafter "Sakura Internet"), a provider of digital infrastructure services, have begun exploring a joint Proof of Concept (PoC) utilizing the APN (All Photonics Network) based on IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) technology, scheduled to commence in the latter half of 2026.

This initiative will leverage NTT Group's IOWN as a core technology, utilizing the communication infrastructure provided by NTT East to connect Sakura Internet's Ishikari Data Center with Equinix's Tokyo facilities. The PoC will examine use cases including distributed processing and AI workloads.

In recent years, with the widespread adoption of generative AI and the acceleration of DX, there has been a growing need to distribute data and computing resources between urban and suburban areas from the perspectives of land use and power consumption. While low-latency, high-capacity connectivity is essential, operational burdens are also increasing. This initiative aims to leverage the characteristics of IOWN APN, which enables low-latency, high-capacity communication through optical technologies, to verify performance in a real-world environment connecting Hokkaido and Tokyo, and to outline a path toward future implementation and commercialization.

*1: IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is a concept for a network and information processing infrastructure, including terminals, that aims to optimize individuals and the whole based on all information, utilizing innovative technologies centered on optics to provide high-speed, high-capacity communication and vast computing resources. For more details, please visit the following website.

What is the IOWN concept: https://www.rd.ntt/iown/index.html

*2: APN (All Photonics Network) is a communication service that exclusively uses optical wavelengths across all segments of the communication network.

What is APN: https://group.ntt/jp/group/iown/function/apn.html

This initiative will connect the service infrastructure at Sakura Internet's Ishikari Data Center with Equinix's Tokyo facilities (e.g., TY4) using "All-Photonics Connect powered by IOWN" (hereinafter "All-Photonics Connect"), provided by NTT East utilizing IOWN APN. Performance evaluations, including throughput and latency, will be conducted to confirm the conditions required for actual operation. For distributed AI, considerations will be made for the placement of learning and inference processing, optimization of data preprocessing and movement, and configurations tailored to workloads. Furthermore, requirements related to operations and security, such as monitoring, fault isolation, access control, and log management, will be organized.

Proof of Concept Example

The roles of each company are as follows: Equinix will serve as the connectivity hub in Tokyo, supporting interconnection infrastructure, ecosystem collaboration, and operational design. NTT East will be responsible for providing wide-area connectivity through All-Photonics Connect and technical support. Sakura Internet will provide the service infrastructure and verification environment from its Ishikari Data Center.

The envisioned configuration involves directly connecting Sakura Internet's Ishikari Data Center and Equinix's Tokyo facilities via All-Photonics Connect, with consideration for connecting to external clouds and ecosystems using Equinix Fabric, etc., as needed. Based on the knowledge gained, requirements will be organized from the perspectives of performance, operations, security, cost, and sustainability, aiming to expand the scope of target use cases. With an eye toward collaboration with companies, municipalities, and research institutions, a phased service rollout will be pursued.

Comment from Naoki Shibuya, President and Representative Director, NTT East Corporation

"As AI demand grows, the 'distributed placement' of data and computing resources is becoming a practical option, making the role of networks in utilizing these resources holistically more important than ever. This initiative verifies the feasibility of executing distributed processing and AI workloads based on low-latency, high-capacity connectivity via IOWN APN in a real-world environment connecting Hokkaido/Ishikari and Tokyo. We believe this is a significant step toward visualizing future digital infrastructure. NTT East will promote this verification with a view to actual operation through the provision of All-Photonics Connect powered by IOWN and technical support, and will work to clarify implementation challenges, including operations, in addition to performance. By leveraging our local presence and connecting distributed resources in a way that can be practically utilized, we will contribute to the realization of new digital infrastructure."

Comment from Kunihiro Tanaka, President and Representative Director, Sakura Internet Inc.

"Competitiveness in the AI era depends not only on superior models but also on how effectively computing resources that support them can be secured and utilized. As AI infrastructure continues to scale up, it is becoming crucial to establish an environment that allows for the integrated use of computing resources distributed across regions, not just concentrated in urban areas. Sakura Internet has been developing domestic cloud and AI infrastructure with its Ishikari Data Center at its core. This initiative verifies the potential for integrated utilization of digital infrastructure in Ishikari and Tokyo by leveraging IOWN's low-latency, high-capacity communication technology. Through this collaboration among the three companies, we will accelerate the realization of a distributed AI infrastructure spanning regions and cities, and promote the creation of next-generation digital infrastructure that supports Japan's AI competitiveness."

Comment from Kuniko Ogawa, President and Representative Director, Equinix Japan

"The rapid expansion of digital demand, including generative AI, directly contributes to strengthening Japan's industrial competitiveness, while simultaneously presenting new challenges in optimizing computing resources, networks, and power. This PoC connects the computing infrastructure in Hokkaido/Ishikari with the Tokyo ecosystem through low-latency, high-capacity connectivity utilizing IOWN. By integrating the expertise and assets of the three companies, we aim to create a model for realizing 'watt-bit' collaboration and concretely advance its social implementation. Equinix has provided the power to connect necessary partners with optimal locations as a crucial hub for interconnection where clouds, networks, and customers converge. Through this collaboration, we will evolve Japan's AI and digital infrastructure to be more robust and sustainable, and contribute to establishing new models that lead to growth from regional to national levels."

Company Overviews

About Equinix

Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) connects the world's digital leaders to everything they need to be at the forefront of the digital economy. Equinix is the provider of the global interconnection platform, the data center, and the physical infrastructure solutions that enable businesses to bring together and connect their digital infrastructure to their customers and partners. Equinix allows its customers to access all the right places, partners and possibilities they need to accelerate business, digital transformation and complex ecosystems. Equinix operates 248 data centers across 71 markets on 5 continents.

About NTT East

NTT East Corporation is a company that contributes to the sustainable development of local communities and industries based on its communication infrastructure in the eastern Japan region. Since its establishment in 1999, it has supported the social infrastructure by providing services such as landline phones and fiber optic lines. In recent years, it has strengthened initiatives to support the resolution of corporate and regional issues and transformation by utilizing data and digital technologies. It contributes to the realization of a circular economy by providing value that extends beyond communication.

About Sakura Internet

Sakura Internet is a digital infrastructure company founded in 1996. It provides reliable cloud and computing infrastructure from its own data centers in Japan. With the corporate philosophy of "Turning 'what you want to do' into 'what you can do,'" it has supported various initiatives by providing easy-to-use digital infrastructure. Furthermore, "Sakura Cloud" has been adopted as a target service for the Reiwa 8 (2026) Government Cloud being developed by the Digital Agency, making it the first domestic cloud service to be selected.

Contact Information

Equinix Japan

Inquiry Form: https://www.equinix.com/jp/ja/contact-us

NTT East Corporation

Marketing Headquarters, Business Development Division Cloud & Network Business Department, IOWN Service Section

Inquiry Form: https://business.ntt-east.co.jp/content/iown/

Sakura Internet Inc.

Inquiry Form: https://www.sakura.ad.jp/corporate/corp/contact/