NTT Corporation (NTT) and NTT DOCOMO (DOCOMO), Inc. announced the successful demonstration of the In-network Service Acceleration Platform (ISAP), a pivotal element of the Inclusive Core mobile network architecture being developed by NTT and DOCOMO to address the heightened data processing requirements of the forthcoming 6G era.
NTT and DOCOMO will collaborate with Nokia to expand collaboration with telecommunication carriers, telecommunication equipment/terminal manufacturers, cloud providers, and service providers toward international standardization of the 6G architecture at 3GPP, which is scheduled to begin discussions in 2025 and to promote INC’s research and development and service provision studies.
During the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2025, a collaborative team from NTT, DOCOMO, and Nokia showcased the capabilities of this architecture by implementing an AI analysis application for real-time video data transfer.
Leveraging ISAP alongside the Inclusive Core framework, the team improved latency and data consistency between the terminal and server, elevating the AI analysis accuracy from a mere 57% using conventional architectures to an impressive 90%.
Advanced Network Architecture for the 6G/IOWN Era
NTT and its collaborators are developing next-generation networking infrastructure to enable the practical application of communications technologies dependent on ultra-high capacity, ultra-low latency and ultra-low power consumption capabilities.
In the 6G/IOWN era, researchers expect several technological innovations to necessitate the exchange and high-data-rate, low-latency-transmission of massive amounts of data. For example, the creation of Cyber Physical Systems in which cyber spaces and physical spaces interact while actuation is enabled; additionally, the integration of AI and ML into communication services, the continued spread of IoT, automation, advanced sensing, robotics and much more.
Also Read: Samsung and NTT DOCOMO to jointly research the AI application in next-gen mobile communicationsInclusive Core Architecture and In-Network Computing
The Inclusive Core architecture is built on the concept of In-network Computing (INC). INC transfers the processing function of the application layer to the data transfer function within the network to realize high-performance services while reducing delay and terminal power consumption. Amidst global conversations on the international standardization of 6G, including the 3GPP standardization project, NTT and DOCOMO are studying INC as an elemental network technology to support services in the 6G era.
As an INC-enabling technology, ISAP mediates information processing related to services on terminals and in cloud services, forming a cascading computing environment on hardware in the network that is suited to the communication environment and the service usage environment while synchronizing and coordinating both extremely fast. The network cooperates and speeds up information processing between terminals and cloud services anytime and anywhere, leading to the creation of flexible service experiences that are not restricted by customer environments, terminals, or services.
ISAP enables a range of advanced services, regardless of terminal specifications or access environment, and for the application service providers, ISAP expands user variety.
