Osaka, Japan, June 30, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Sharp Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with major global satellite operator and space solutions provider SES (*1) to collaborate on satellite communication services. The two companies will begin discussions toward deploying SES's Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite communication service "O3b mPOWER" (*2) in Japan.

SES provides multi-orbit connectivity services worldwide, supporting applications ranging from media distribution to high-performance connectivity for aviation, maritime, government, and enterprise sectors. SES's "O3b mPOWER" is a MEO satellite communication network that delivers high-throughput, low-latency, and secure connectivity with predictable performance. A key strength of the service is its ability to dynamically allocate the required capacity to mission-critical applications and areas with high communication demand. Sharp has been developing flat-panel satellite communication user terminals (*3) compatible with SES's "O3b mPOWER". These terminals leverage Sharp's core communication technologies and compact, lightweight design expertise cultivated through smartphone development.

Sharp will collaborate with SES to combine SES's satellite connectivity network with Sharp's advanced communication technologies and user terminals, with the aim of exploring the provision of satellite services in Japan. The collaboration will focus on industrial use cases in areas such as maritime and mountainous regions, where terrestrial networks—such as cellular—are unreliable or unavailable. Potential use cases include enabling connectivity for heavy machinery and equipment in remote locations and managing the operations of autonomous vehicles. Through this initiative, Sharp aims to provide end-to-end solutions, spanning equipment sales, system deployment, and ongoing operations, to support dependable connectivity in such environments.

Comment from Jean-Philippe Gillet,
President, Fixed Vertical, SES S.A.

"Japan is a key innovation market with growing demand for high-performance connectivity beyond terrestrial networks. Through our collaboration with Sharp, we are bringing together MEO capabilities and advanced terminal innovation to enable scalable connectivity across key mobility and industrial segments. Together, we are committed to developing the services and technologies needed to support these use cases and to drive the continued expansion of the MEO market in Japan."

Comment from Shigeru Kobayashi,
Executive Officer, Co-COO and Head of Smart Workplace Business Group, Sharp Corporation

"The memorandum of understanding with SES marks an important step that will accelerate our efforts toward building next-generation communications environments. At Sharp, we aim to open up the future for people by integrating AI into all aspects of how people live and work. Achieving this vision requires a reliable communications environment available anywhere. By combining SES's high-performance and reliable satellite communications infrastructure with Sharp's advanced satellite user terminals, as well as our expertise in communications technologies, we will drive this initiative with steady progress."

*1 An operator that owns and operates satellites to provide communication services globally. Headquarters: Betzdorf, Luxembourg; CEO: Adel Al-Saleh.
*2 SES's MEO satellites orbit at an altitude of approximately 8,000 km. Compared to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) at approximately 36,000 km, MEO offers significantly lower communication latency. Compared to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes below 2,000 km, MEO provides stable coverage over wide areas. This enables reliable connectivity even in remote locations and challenging environments.
*3 A terminal that integrates a flat-panel antenna—thin, lightweight, and flat in form, unlike conventional parabolic antennas—with modem functionality. It offers excellent installability and portability.

- This development is supported by funding from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). (Project ID: JPJ012368G50501)

About Sharp

For more than 110 years, Sharp Corporation has been developing pioneering, world‑first and industry-first products and technologies primarily in electronics. Based on its business creed "Sincerity and Creativity" the company has established its corporate slogan "In step with your future." and aims to create New Cultures through innovative products and services in every aspect of how people live and work. For more information, please visit: https://global.sharp/

TOKYO, Japan, June 24, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has become the first company in Japan to deploy Nokia's MantaRay AutoPilot system, an AI-driven system that automatically optimizes mobile network quality, effective June 19.*1 To accelerate deployment, DOCOMO implemented MantaRay AutoPilot on a public cloud, marking the world's first case of optimizing a commercial mobile network via this system on a public cloud.*2

DOCOMO previously introduced Nokia's MantaRay SON*3 in November 2025, reducing manual workloads while enabling faster and more precise network-quality improvements.*4 Although MantaRay SON automated network optimization through closed-loop control—continuously monitoring network conditions and automatically adjusting settings accordingly—pre-design of parameters and configuration policies still had to be performed manually, making it challenging to configure parameter design and policies in real-time based on changing congestion patterns.

MantaRay AutoPilot eliminates this requirement by automatically designing network parameters and policies, and executing real-time optimization. With MantaRay AutoPilot, DOCOMO simply specifies desired quality targets, known as “intents,”*5 and the AI then analyzes base station quality and performance to determine the optimal parameter design and execution schedules. Working seamlessly with MantaRay SON, the system can complete a full optimization cycle in as little as 15 minutes.

By continuously repeating this process around the clock, the AI dynamically optimizes parameter design based on congestion patterns across locations and times of day, a task that was difficult for MantaRay SON alone. This enables ongoing network optimization and more stable data communication across a wide range of usage environments.

To implement MantaRay AutoPilot, DOCOMO adopted a public cloud architecture that optimizes the network directly from the cloud. This approach enabled rapid implementation without being constrained by hardware procurement lead times. DOCOMO also plans to integrate the system with various cloud-based AI platforms in the future.

Through its deployment of MantaRay AutoPilot, DOCOMO intends to achieve Autonomous Networks Level 4, the level of network autonomy defined by the global industry association TM Forum.*6 At this level, AI can predict network conditions and autonomously manage the network without human intervention.

DOCOMO will continue evaluating the system's effectiveness in commercial operations, aiming to advance AI-driven network management to deliver higher-quality communication services to customers.

*1 Based on DOCOMO research as of June 22, 2026.
*2 Based on DOCOMO research as of June 22, 2026.
*3 A self-organizing network (SON) automatically optimizes radio and network conditions through base station collaboration. Nokia's MantaRay SON is one such product.
*4 From the Nokia press release (Nov. 25, 2025): “ Nokia introduces MantaRay SON to NTT DOCOMO's multi-vendor 5G network ”
(https://www.nokia.com/newsroom/nokia-introduces-mantaray-son-to-ntt-docomos-multi-vendor-5g-network/).
*5 An operator's targets for its system (e.g., maintain communication quality in a specific area above X Mbps).
*6 A global nonprofit alliance of telecom and IT companies that establishes industry standards and best practices.

All company, product, and service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 93 million subscribers, is one of the global leaders in 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Under the slogan “Bridging Worlds for Wonder & Happiness,” DOCOMO is actively collaborating with global partners to expand its business scope from mobile services to comprehensive solutions, aiming to deliver unsurpassed value and drive innovation in technology and communications, ultimately to support positive change and advancement in global society. https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/

TOKYO, June 17, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: OHNO Hideo, Ph.D.), Sharp Corporation (Sharp, CEO: KAWAMURA Tetsuji), Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical, President and CEO: CHIKUMOTO Manabu), and TECHLAB Co., Ltd. (TECHLAB, President and Representative Director: HATAKEYAMA Hiroshi) jointly reduced the total weight of a planar antenna for NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network)*1 applications by 47% (from 5.5 kg to 2.9 kg) through a new heat dissipation device design.

This was achieved by integrating a CFRP*2 heat dissipation device using a composite material combining carbon fiber prepreg*3 and graphite sheet*4 into the NTN planar antenna. The required electrical performance of the planar antenna was also confirmed. In addition, operation including the modem was confirmed as a satellite communication user terminal.

The achievement greatly expands the range of mobility platforms on which the terminal can be deployed, including drones and vehicles. It is expected to support the establishment of communication links in mountainous areas and disaster-affected regions, real-time transmission of location information from various types of mobility, and future applications such as autonomous driving, thereby representing a major step toward the realization of NTN.

Background

In NTN, satellite communications enable high-speed connectivity even in environments where terrestrial mobile communications are difficult, such as mountainous areas, offshore locations, remote islands, and disaster-affected regions. On the other hand, NTN planar antennas for satellite communication user terminals require tracking functionality for satellites and HAPS*5. This tracking function generates significant heat, making high thermal conductivity and effective heat dissipation essential. In addition, further miniaturization and weight reduction are essential in order to mount satellite communication user terminals on diverse mobility platforms. To address these challenges, the four parties have been jointly conducting R&D on materials with both high thermal conductivity and low weight, along with the design, molding, integration, and evaluation of heat dissipation devices.

Achievements

NICT, Sharp, Mitsubishi Chemical, and TECHLAB jointly achieved a 47% reduction in the weight of an NTN planar antenna through a new heat dissipation device design. In this achievement, NICT identified design guidelines for lightweight heat dissipation devices based on the weight and thermal conductivity challenges of conventional aluminum heat dissipation devices for planar antennas and conducted R&D on the composition of the novel composite material and the device structure adopted in this work (see Figure 1).

Mitsubishi Chemical developed the carbon fiber prepreg and graphite sheet materials used in the composite material, while TECHLAB established the design and molding technology for a heat dissipation device using the composite material. This enabled the fabrication of a CFRP heat dissipation device that takes advantage of the material’s low weight and high thermal conductivity, achieving a device weight of less than 1 kg. Sharp then integrated this CFRP heat dissipation device into the NTN planar antenna and achieved a 47% weight reduction (5.5 kg to 2.9 kg) (see Figure 2, Figure 3). Evaluation of antenna characteristics confirmed that differences in the radiation pattern were within the measurement error range of the terminal and that there was no difference in receive gain characteristics.

Furthermore, the newly developed NTN planar antenna was integrated with a modem and other components, and operation was confirmed as a satellite communication user terminal. This demonstrated that a much lighter satellite communication user terminal can be realized, falling within the payload capacity of widely used industrial drones, and can be directly mounted and operated on a wide range of mobility platforms, including drones and vehicles, thereby expanding the range of applicable mobility platforms.

Future Prospects

Going forward, the partners will conduct more detailed evaluations of heat dissipation performance and mountability, while studying optimal heat dissipation device designs for different terminal configurations and applications. With a view to practical implementation of ultra-compact and lightweight satellite communication user terminals for mobility applications, the partners will continue prototyping and demonstration efforts and aim to contribute to the future realization of NTN.

Roles of each organization

- NICT: Overall design and simulation of antennas for ultra-miniaturization and lightweight structures, including heat dissipation designs
- Sharp: Development of LEO satellite communication user terminals utilizing miniaturization and communication technologies cultivated in smartphone design
- Mitsubishi Chemical: Development of new lightweight, high thermal conductivity composite materials for heat dissipation plates
- TECHLAB: Molding and processing technologies for the new composite materials 

News Highlights:

• Stable communications for robotic agricultural machinery supporting future farming operations were achieved within and between fields in mountainous areas by combining mobile and satellite communications.
• Continuous video transmission for remote operation and remote monitoring was achieved by compressing video according to available bandwidth while maintaining image quality in areas critical for vehicle operation.
• By leveraging the demonstrated technologies, the practicality of communications and video transmission for remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery will be enhanced, contributing to the future realization of fully autonomous operations. Efforts will also continue toward social implementation of data-driven agriculture both in Japan and internationally, with the aim of achieving sustainable agriculture.

TOKYO, Japan, May 26, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Akira Shimada; hereinafter “NTT”), Kubota Corporation (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; President and Representative Director, CEO: Shingo Hanada; hereinafter “Kubota”), and NTT DOCOMO, INC. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yoshiaki Maeda; hereinafter “DOCOMO”), conducted a joint demonstration experiment (hereinafter, “the demonstration”) to stabilize communications and ensure continuous video transmission for the remote operation and remote monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery in mountainous areas. In the demonstration, optimal control was applied to video transmission required for robotic agricultural machinery operation by combining mobile and satellite communications, together with video control technology. As a result, visibility of transmitted video was maintained even under fluctuating communication conditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology as a communications infrastructure supporting remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery.

This technology is scheduled to be exhibited by NTT at Tsukuba Forum 2026*1, to be held from May 27-28, 2026.

Background

Achieving sustainable agriculture in the years ahead requires the promotion of automated farming operations to address labor shortages, as well as efficient farm management utilizing data. In Japan, the government is also advancing institutional development toward regulatory reform that would allow robotic agricultural machinery to operate on public roads under conditions ensuring safety through remote monitoring.

To date, NTT and Kubota have engaged in research, development, and service creation utilizing ICT to support innovation for agricultural producers, including visualization of farm management, improved operational efficiency and automation, and the realization of high-quality agriculture.*2

However, in hilly and mountainous regions, which account for approximately 40% of Japan's cultivated land area, fluctuations in mobile communication quality are likely to occur due to terrain and physical obstructions. As a result, delays and disconnections may occur in communications for robotic agricultural machinery operating within and between fields. Since unstable communications directly affect safety in the remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery, stable transmission of required video and data remains a key challenge for practical implementation.

Details of the Initiative

In the demonstration, multipath control using multiple mobile and satellite communication links was applied according to communication conditions. This confirmed that stable communications could be maintained by supplementing mobile communication links with satellite communication links in areas such as mountainous farmland, where mobile network quality tends to deteriorate within and between fields.

In addition, video control technology was applied to automatically adjust video compression according to communication conditions while prioritizing image quality in critical areas, such as the travel path and crops visible in the video feed. This enabled both stable video transmission and sufficient visibility during remote operation and monitoring.

Figure 1. Future vision for communication and video control in the remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery

Key Technologies

1) Technology combining mobile and satellite communication linksOptimal control combining mobile and satellite communication links was achieved through multi-link control technology based on the communication quality of each link. By enabling mobile and satellite communication links to complement each other, stable communications can be maintained even in mountainous areas.

2) Video control technology that compresses video while preserving quality in critical areasBased on predicted communication bandwidth, stable video transmission was achieved by maintaining video quality in critical areas, such as the travel path of robotic agricultural machinery, while compressing video data in non-critical areas.

Figure 2. Experimental configuration

Roles of Each Company

- NTT
Provision of the “Cradio,” a wireless quality prediction technology and the “Cooperative Infrastructure Platform,” a multi-link optimal control technology based on quality prediction, as well as implementation of the demonstration
- Kubota
Provision of robotic agricultural machinery and the demonstration field
- DOCOMO
Provision of video control technology that preserves image quality in critical areas while compressing data outside those areas in coordination with wireless quality prediction technology

Future Outlook

The technologies for communication stabilization and visibility enhancement demonstrated in this project will be leveraged to improve the practicality of communications and video transmission for the remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery, contributing to the future realization of fully autonomous operations. Efforts will also continue toward the social implementation of data-driven agriculture both in Japan and internationally, with the aim of achieving sustainable agriculture.

In addition, NTT will continue promoting solutions to social challenges through the use of satellite technologies under the NTT C89*3 brand.

*1 Tsukuba Forum 2026
URL: https://www.rd.ntt/e/as/tforum/
*2 June 7, 2016
“Kubota, NTT and NTT Communications to Develop ICT Solutions for Agriculture and Water Infrastructure”
URL: https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2016/06/07/160607a.html
*3 NTT C89 is a trademark of NTT, Inc. The name is an abbreviation of NTT CONSTELLATION 89 PROJECT and represents initiatives aimed at expanding space-related businesses and contributing to the development of the overall space industry through the provision of solutions to social challenges. URL: https://group.ntt/en/aerospace/

About NTT

NTT is a leading global technology innovator, providing a broad range of services to both consumers and businesses. As a mobile operator and provider of infrastructure, networks, and services, NTT is dedicated to promoting a sustainable future through cutting-edge innovations. Our portfolio includes business consulting, AI-powered solutions, application services, global networks, cybersecurity, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. Generating over $90 billion in revenue and employing 340,000 professionals, we allocate 30% of our annual profits to fundamental research and development. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and regions, our clients include over 75% of Fortune Global 100 companies, alongside thousands of enterprises, government organizations, and millions of consumers.

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 93 million subscribers, is one of the global leaders in 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies.

Under the slogan “Bridging Worlds for Wonder & Happiness,” DOCOMO is actively collaborating with global partners to expand its business scope from mobile services to comprehensive solutions, aiming to deliver unsurpassed value and drive innovation in technology and communications, ultimately to support positive change and advancement in global society. https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/

TOKYO, Japan, May 25, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. (“DOCOMO”) and NEC Corporation (“NEC”), in collaboration with NTT, Inc. (“NTT”), have developed a technology (the “Technology”) that enables multiple vehicles traveling at high speed to simultaneously maintain stable communications using high-capacity millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications in the 40 GHz band, which is expected to be leveraged in the 6G era. The Technology combines distributed MIMO*1, in which multiple antennas are distributed and deployed from a base station, with a technique that pre-compensates the transmit frequency and transmit timing of signals.

In a demonstration trial conducted in March 2026 at a full-scale tunnel test facility installed at Japan's National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, multiple vehicles equipped with mobile terminals traveling at high speed in opposite lanes maintained stable, high throughput, achieving approximately a 1.3x improvement in average throughput compared to the conventional method. This result represents a major step toward social implementation of 6G-related technologies—including implementation in new base stations—such as autonomous driving utilizing mmWave and improved in-vehicle user experiences.

Video of the demonstration:

Background

When communicating in high-frequency bands such as mmWave in high-mobility environments (e.g., automobiles and trains traveling at high speed), frequent base station switching occurs, causing abrupt changes in Doppler frequency*2 and propagation delay, which degrades communication quality. DOCOMO, NEC, and NTT have been working to address this challenge, and in March 2025 successfully demonstrated*3 a technology that stabilizes communication quality for a single vehicle traveling at high speed by compensating the transmit frequency and transmit timing on the base station side.

In the present demonstration, the March 2025 technology was further advanced to develop a method that suppresses communication-quality degradation for multiple mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles even under complex conditions, where multiple mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles traveling at high speed in opposite lanes communicate simultaneously.

Key Features of the Technology

Using uplink reference signals transmitted from each mobile-terminal-equipped vehicle, the Technology pre-estimates, for each base-station antenna, the appropriate transmit frequency and transmit timing for each vehicle. It then pre-compensates each vehicle-specific signal and then combines (multiplexes) the signals for transmission. This eliminates differences in received frequency and received timing that occur during antenna switching for multiple mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles simultaneously, thereby stabilizing high-capacity mmWave communications for multiple vehicles.

Figure 1. Transmit frequency and transmit timing pre-compensation technology for multiple mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles

Demonstration Trial and ResultsFrom March 26 to 27, 2026, DOCOMO, NEC, and NTT conducted a demonstration trial of the Technology at the full-scale tunnel test facility at NILIM. To emulate a high-mobility environment, three distributed antennas of a base station were installed along one side of a road at 150-meter intervals. A downlink transmission experiment was then conducted with two mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles traveling at 60 km/h in opposite lanes.

Under more complex conditions than the March 2025 demonstration, the conventional method (in which only the terminal side compensates received frequency and received timing) was compared with the proposed Technology (which additionally applies per-vehicle pre-compensation on the base-station side before combining and transmitting the signals). The comparison used the combined (sum) throughput of the two mobile-terminal-equipped vehicles.

To validate performance in a more complex radio propagation environment, the experiment was conducted inside a tunnel, where radio waves reflect and antenna switching occurs frequently while driving. When only the conventional method was applied, the combined throughput dropped significantly during antenna switching—from 550 Mbps to approximately 110 Mbps—and the average throughput over 30 seconds of driving was approximately 430 Mbps. In contrast, when the Technology was applied, throughput degradation during antenna switching was suppressed, maintaining a stable throughput of at least 380 Mbps, and the average throughput improved to 560 Mbps, representing an approximate 1.3x increase over the conventional method. In addition, the 5th-percentile throughput value in the cumulative distribution function (CDF) improved from 270 Mbps (conventional) to 480 Mbps (proposed), an approximate 1.8x increase.

Figure 2. Demonstration trial image

Figure 3. Experimental result (1): Combined throughput comparisonbetween the conventional method and the proposed Technology

Figure 4. Experimental result (2): CDF of combined throughput comparison between the conventional method and the proposed Technology

Future Development

This demonstration confirmed that high-capacity and stable communications using mmWave distributed MIMO are possible even in high-mobility environments where multiple automobiles and trains travel at high speed, representing a major step toward real-world deployment. With the success of this demonstration, the use of mmWave communications is expected in applications such as immersive services including in-vehicle XR (extended reality), real-time translation and guidance leveraging generative AI, and sensor-data coordination for cooperative autonomous driving.

Going forward, DOCOMO, NEC, and NTT will conduct further trials assuming various real-world environments such as high-speed railways, conventional railways, and arterial roads, and will contribute to realizing stable high-capacity communications in the 6G era.

The trial and its results will be exhibited at Wireless Japan × Wireless Technology Park (WTP) 2026*4 (May 27-29, 2026, Tokyo Big Sight, West 3 & 4 Hall; XG Mobile Promotion Forum exhibit area) and Tsukuba Forum 2026*5 (May 27-28, 2026, NTT Tsukuba R&D Center, R-1 Area; NTT Exhibits).

*1 Distributed MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) :
A technology in which a large number of antennas are distributed from a single base station within an area for MIMO transmission between each antenna and a mobile terminal within the area.
*2 Doppler Frequency: A frequency shift that occurs when a radio transmitter is moving. The received frequency increases when approaching the receiver and decreases when moving away.
*3 NTT Corp., NTT DOCOMO and NEC Demonstrate Distributed MIMO Technology for High-Frequency 6G Communications in Automobiles and Trains(March 25, 2025)
*4 Wireless Japan×Wireless Technology Park (WTP) 2026: https://wjwtp.jp/2026/en/
*5 Tsukuba Forum 2026: https://www.rd.ntt/e/as/tforum/

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 93 million subscribers, is one of the global leaders in 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies.Under the slogan “Bridging Worlds for Wonder & Happiness,” DOCOMO is actively collaborating with global partners to expand its business scope from mobile services to comprehensive solutions, aiming to deliver unsurpassed value and drive innovation in technology and communications, ultimately to support positive change and advancement in global society. https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/

About NEC Corporation

The NEC Group leverages technology to create social value and promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. NEC Corporation was established in 1899. Today, the NEC Group's approximately 110,000 employees utilize world-leading AI, security, and communications technologies to solve the most pressing needs of customers and society. For more information, visit NEC at https://group.nec/global/en/.