Demonstration of High-Capacity, Low-Latency Communication Environment Supporting Advanced Industrial Complexes with IOWN® APN and 60GHz Band Wireless LAN

*This news release is jointly distributed by NTT Group (NTT East Corporation, NTT Docomo Business, Inc., NTT Docomo Solutions, Inc., NTT DATA Group Corporation), 1Finity Corporation, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Please be aware that it may be distributed redundantly.

April 6, 2026

NTT East Corporation

NTT Docomo Business, Inc.

NTT Docomo Solutions, Inc.

NTT DATA Group Corporation

1FINITY Corporation

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

NTT East Corporation, NTT Docomo Business, Inc., NTT Docomo Solutions, Inc., and NTT DATA Group Corporation (hereinafter, NTT Group), 1Finity Corporation (hereinafter, 1Finity) of the Fujitsu Group, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (hereinafter, Mitsubishi Chemical) of the Mitsubishi Chemical Group are working to reduce the burden on workers inspecting outdoor factory equipment by realizing smart maintenance through the utilization of IOWN® APN[Note 1] and AI.
For outdoor factory equipment, due to communication environment constraints and a lack of smart maintenance application examples, "communication environment development" and "smart maintenance utilization" have been difficult to advance mutually.

To solve these issues, in February 2026, a verification was conducted in the Mizushima Rinkai Industrial Zone (Mizushima Complex) in Okayama Prefecture regarding the construction of a high-capacity, low-latency communication environment utilizing IOWN® APN and 60GHz band wireless LAN (WiGig[Note 2]).
As a result of the verification, it was confirmed that by constructing a high-capacity, low-latency communication environment outdoors, smart maintenance utilizing external computing resources can be realized.

Going forward, based on the communication environment verified this time, we will expand smart maintenance application examples, such as anomaly detection technology using video and audio data from multiple robots and devices, and promote the reduction of on-site worker burden in actual workplaces.

【Background】

NTT Group, 1Finity, and Mitsubishi Chemical are participating in the activities of the IOWN Global Forum™ (hereinafter, IOWN GF) as part of their efforts to realize a sustainable society. [Note 3] The three parties have been collaborating with IOWN GF partner companies to develop a reference implementation model for the "Remote Controlled Robotic Inspection" use case, which includes functions and requirements for remotely operating robots to perform equipment inspections. In 2024, a model demonstration experiment was conducted for factory inspections combining remotely operated robots utilizing IOWN® APN and AI-based video analysis. [Note 4]

【Overview of Verification】

In industrial complexes where large-scale factory equipment is concentrated, regular outdoor inspections of equipment are essential to maintain safe and stable operation. On the other hand, for large-scale facilities, inspections require a large number of man-hours, and there are also inspections that involve the risk of falling during high-altitude work, making the reduction of the burden on on-site workers a long-standing issue.

Furthermore, in conventional industrial complexes, due to communication environment constraints, efforts for outdoor smart maintenance have not progressed sufficiently, and a vicious cycle, or deadlock, has occurred where the advancement of smart maintenance does not lead to the sophistication of the communication environment.

In recent years, discussions have been underway regarding the utilization of wireless technologies such as local 5G, but in Japan, institutional responses such as obtaining wireless licenses are required, which still presents a high hurdle for developing communication environments.

This time, by combining IOWN® APN and 60GHz band wireless LAN (WiGig), a license-free wireless communication technology, a high-capacity, low-latency communication environment was constructed in an industrial complex. Specifically, an IOWN® APN environment was constructed to connect the Mitsubishi Chemical Okayama Plant to a building in Tokyo (approximately 700km) within the NTT Group, and a WiGig wireless communication environment over a 2km section within the Okayama Plant was constructed in approximately 6 hours.

【Roles of Each Company in the Verification】

【Verification Content and Results】

1. Construction of IOWN® APN Environment

For the connection between the Okayama Plant, the verification site, and a building in Tokyo (approximately 700km), "docomo business APN Plus powered by IOWN®" provided by NTT Docomo Business was utilized. This service, based on the IOWN concept, realizes a high-capacity, low-latency communication environment capable of 100Gbps transmission by utilizing innovative optical-centric technologies. Furthermore, by effectively utilizing existing optical network facilities, it can be constructed even in areas with high difficulty in laying cables throughout Japan, ensuring high quality and reliability. In this verification, an IOWN® APN environment was provided to an industrial complex in a region other than Tokyo and Osaka.

2. Construction of WiGig Environment

Within the Okayama Plant, a WiGig wireless communication environment was constructed over a 2km section from the end of the APN to the verification site using 18 wireless repeaters. This environment was set up in a short time of approximately 6 hours. A wireless communication environment with a maximum uplink transmission rate of 900Mbps was achieved at the verification site. It was also confirmed that wireless connection to sensors on moving people, vehicles, and robots, which had been considered a challenge for high-frequency band communication, is possible.

3. Data Transmission Experiment Using 4K Cameras

Simultaneous transmission of video data from eight 4K cameras was performed (total data communication of approximately 400Mbps). In a configuration combining a 2km WiGig wireless communication section and an approximately 1,400km round-trip APN communication section, it was confirmed that low-latency data transmission of less than 0.1 seconds end-to-end is possible. Furthermore, even in an outdoor environment, large-capacity data such as video and audio from multiple sensors could be collected simultaneously and in real-time.

The results of this verification showed that even in industrial complexes with communication environment constraints, a high-capacity, low-latency communication environment capable of outdoor smart maintenance can be constructed, and that it can be connected to computing resources such as data centers located remotely.

This is expected to enable seamless video distribution in long-distance environments, simultaneous acquisition of data such as video and audio using various devices, and the realization of AI-based patrol inspection support based on highly accurate and real-time status monitoring using multimodal AI[Note 5]. These initiatives demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of communication and computing infrastructure development for advancing outdoor smart maintenance and accelerating its social implementation.

【Future Outlook】

Towards the full-scale deployment of the outdoor smart maintenance platform, we will further enhance the stable communication environment capable of simultaneously controlling multiple high-precision cameras and robots. At the same time, we will proceed with studies and demonstrations towards realizing a network environment for multi-operation at multiple locations and a computing platform compatible with multimodal AI processing.

[Note 1] IOWN® APN is part of the All-Photonics Network (APN) advocated by NTT, a next-generation network technology that achieves ultra-low latency and high-speed communication using optical signals instead of conventional electrical signals. "IOWN®" is a trademark or registered trademark of NTT Corporation.

[Note 2] WiGig is an abbreviation for Wireless Gigabit. This is a 60GHz band wireless LAN standard based on the IEEE 802.11ad standard.

[Note 3] IOWN Global Forum™ is an international organization established to realize the IOWN concept. Currently, over 170 companies and organizations are participating.

https://iowngf.org/

[Note 4] Verification of factory equipment inspection by remotely operated robots utilizing IOWN® APN

https://www.nttdata.com/global/ja/news/release/2024/122000/

[Note 5] Multimodal AI is an AI that can make integrated judgments using various types of input information (video, sound, text, etc.) depending on the desired content. "Modal" refers to the type of input information (video, sound, text, etc.) for AI.

[Comments from Each Company]

NTT Docomo Business, Inc.

Hisashi Yamaguchi, Executive Officer, Head of Third Business Solution Department, Business Solution Division

"We are confident that the construction of the communication environment using IOWN® APN this time is a solid step forward towards realizing a 'future industrial complex.' By eliminating geographical constraints with IOWN® APN, we believe we can significantly contribute to solving the serious labor shortage, a social issue facing Japan. Through this platform, we will digitize the technologies and knowledge cultivated in local workplaces and implement them as smart maintenance that can be deployed globally, thereby powerfully promoting the sustainable advancement of industry."

1Finity Corporation

Hideki Matsui, Head of Photonics System Business Division

"This initiative marks a significant step forward in developing the network technology we have cultivated in mission-critical fields with our partners to solve social issues. The confirmation that the overwhelming low-latency and high-reliability characteristics of IOWN® APN are effective in smart maintenance of plant equipment demonstrates the potential to significantly change the way industries operate.

1Finity will continue to pursue network forms that truly bring value to the field and society, and accelerate co-creation with our partners to realize a sustainable and resilient industrial foundation."

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Toshiya Katsuragi, Executive Consultant

"The biggest challenge in acquiring and utilizing large amounts of data outdoors is the construction of a communication environment. This verification proposes a solution to that. With the conditions met, the challenge towards a new way of 'monozukuri' (manufacturing) will now begin in earnest. We hope that many companies will participate in this initiative."