Tokyo (VNA) - Japan plans to launch a large-scale demonstration of high-speed optical communications in Singapore as early as 2026 to test the performance of a cross-border data network built on NTT's flagship Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) technology.
According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry aims to promote the system to financial and pharmaceutical companies based in Singapore, laying the groundwork for future exports of Japan's telecommunications infrastructure.
The demonstration is expected to involve NTT and other partners, with total government and industry investment of about 10 billion JPY (66 million USD).
IOWN employs optoelectronic convergence technology that replaces electrical processing with light signals. The approach enables faster, higher-capacity communications while keeping power consumption and latency low.
The project will build a network centred on Singapore, linking data centres there with facilities in India and Japan. Officials and companies will use the test to verify whether the technology's advantages can be maintained across borders.
Japan hopes the trial will serve as a steppingstone for broader deployment in Singapore and other regions. The city-state hosts numerous multinational companies and is active in digital research and development.
According to Statista, Singapore had 99 data centers as of March 2025, the fifth-highest total in the Asia-Pacific region. Amid concerns over electricity shortages, the government had for a while imposed a moratorium on new data center projects. Meanwhile, construction has accelerated in neighboring Indonesia and Malaysia.
Japan's communications ministry is promoting the overseas expansion of domestic companies as it seeks to preserve the country's homegrown telecommunications technology.
The country's position has been eroded by the rise of global competitors, such as Chinese telecom giant Huawei, and there are concerns that a reliance on foreign-made infrastructure can pose national security risks.
With 6G technology expected to come into widespread use in the 2030s, Japan is seeking to regain its footing in next-generation communications infrastructure./.
