TOKYO, Apr 2, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Japan Radio Co., Ltd. ("JRC"), SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation ("SKY Perfect JSAT"), and Sharp Corporation ("Sharp") will collaborate to develop and demonstrate a next-generation communications system in support of the Ministry of Defense (Japan) program titled "Development and Demonstration of Resilience-Enhancing Technologies for Multi-Orbit(1) Communications Systems", for which JRC was selected on February 4, 2026.

This solicitation is intended to enhance the resilience(2) and reliability of communications infrastructure, in light of expanding communications demand in the disaster prevention and defense domains and the growing need to secure stable communications under a variety of circumstances, including natural disasters and unforeseen events. It aims to build a next-generation communications system that leverages a combination of GEO, MEO and LEO satellites(3), and to enable multi-orbit operation by establishing control technologies that allow seamless switching among satellite links—where satellite communications are currently operated through separate systems optimized for each orbit.

During the project period through March 31, 2028, JRC will oversee overall project coordination, SKY Perfect JSAT will lead the development of a seamless communications network, and Sharp will primarily drive the development of a multi-orbit-capable satellite communications user terminal(4), as the three companies develop a communications system supporting multi-orbit operations across GEO, MEO and LEO satellites and validate improvements in communications network resilience.

Through this demonstration, the three companies will strive to improve communications reliability under various conditions, including disasters and emergencies, and will contribute to maintaining critical social functions and ensuring safety and security.

Outline of the Announcement Awarded to JRC

■ Company Profiles

Company Name: Japan Radio Co., Ltd.

Representative: Kaichiro Sakuma, Representative Director President and CEO

Head Office: NAKANO CENTRAL PARK EAST,10-1, Nakano 4-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8570, Japan

URL: https://www.jrc.co.jp/en/

Company Name: SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation

Representative: Eiichi Yonekura, Representative Director, President and CEO

Head Office: Akasaka Intercity AIR, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan

URL: https://en.skyperfectjsat.space/

Company Name: Sharp Corporation

Representative: Tetsuji Kawamura, President and Executive Officer, CEO

Head Office: 2-1-25 Kyutaromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 541-8522, Japan

URL: https://global.sharp/

(1) Multiple types of satellite orbits in which artificial satellites operate, such as geostationary, medium, and low Earth orbits.
(2) The ability to maintain function and ensure stable use by providing alternative means or rapid recovery in the event of unexpected incidents.
(3) Abbreviations for Geostationary Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit, and Low Earth Orbit.
(4) A terminal integrating components such as a satellite communication antenna and modem functions.

TOKYO, Japan, Mar 31, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. and SK Telecom(SKT), a leading AI and telecommunications company based in Korea today announced the release of a white paper on the key enabling features for vRAN(*1) evolution and the path to AI-RAN(*2) (the white paper), as the latest outcome of their ongoing technical cooperation.

Joint White Papers by DOCOMO and SK Telecom

The white paper reviews the prospects for further enhancement and advancement of vRAN and AI-RAN—which refers to intelligent RAN utilizing AI capabilities, also known as AI-Centric RAN or AI-native RAN—for mobile operators, as well as the associated technical requirements and enabling technologies based on the companies' combined experience in mobile network construction and operation. It aims to promote the evolution of vRAN and AI-RAN by encouraging closer collaboration between mobile network operators and equipment vendors in the development of vRAN software.

The white paper analyzes three key technical requirements that are essential to maximizing the benefits of advanced vRAN and AI-RAN.

1. Strict separation of hardware and software to accelerate new feature introduction

By functionally separating RAN software from specific hardware and virtualization platforms, vRAN allows software to be deployed independently from underlying infrastructure, thereby accelerating software-driven innovation. Such strict separation of hardware and software is identified as a critical factor in the advancement of vRAN and AI-RAN.

2. Resource pooling for flexible infrastructure and improved resource utilization

In addition to strict hardware-software separation, resource pooling technologies can enable capacity improvements and reductions in power consumption, without compromising service quality, by realizing flexible infrastructure and improving resource utilization. The further development and adoption of this feature could help mobile operators strengthen their competitiveness by supporting more efficient and adaptable network operations.

3. Realization of AI computing capabilities (AI-RAN) by leveraging vRAN systems

Leveraging resource orchestration technologies and an xPU(*3)-based architecture enables base stations to provide AI computing capabilities without compromising the quality of mobile communication services. This approach aims to evolve vRAN from a mobile communication platform into an integrated AI platform capable of delivering both mobile communication connectivity and AI services.

“This white paper is a meaningful achievement as it presents, from a mobile operator's perspective, the key features essential for maximizing the benefits of vRAN adoption and for the future evolution toward AI-native networks. We are pleased to have delivered this outcome through our close collaboration with DOCOMO, and we hope it will serve as a catalyst for fostering the broader ecosystem and contribute to the global advancement of next-generation mobile networks,” said Takki Yu, Head of Network Technology Office, SK Telecom.

“We are pleased that as a result of the technical collaboration with SKT, which began in November 2022, we have jointly published the white paper on the key enabling features for vRAN evolution and the path to AI-RAN. We hope to further cooperation between the two major mobile operators in East Asia and to share advanced concepts and innovative technologies with the world to realize the 6G era.” said Masafumi Masuda, General Manager of Radio Access Design Department, Senior Vice President, NTT DOCOMO, INC.

DOCOMO and SKT signed a cooperation agreement in November 2022(*4) to advance technology studies of next-generation telecommunications infrastructure for 5G Evolution and 6G. In February 2023(*5), they jointly released two white papers on power-saving technologies for mobile networks and related technologies, as well as 6G requirements. Furthermore, in February 2024(*6), they published a white paper on key considerations for vRAN deployment and operation, focusing on L1 accelerator selection aligned with network design and requirements.

Going forward, DOCOMO and SKT will continue their technical cooperation in various fields, including enhancing the competitiveness and operational efficiency of 5G, as well as international standardization and technology verification towards 6G. Through these efforts, they aim to share their expertise and innovative technologies with the world and contribute to the further advancement of 5G Evolution and 6G mobile communications.

(*1) Technologies that operate mobile base stations as software using general-purpose servers, hardware accelerators, and virtualization platforms.

(*2) Technologies that integrate AI into the RAN (Radio Access Network) by running AI applications on the RAN infrastructure.

(*3) A general term for information processing units such as CPU and GPU

(*4) NTT DOCOMO and SK Telecom to Collaborate on Technological Advancement of Metaverse, Digital Media and 5G/6G (November 22, 2022) https://www.docomo.ne.jp/info/news_release/2022/11/21_00.html (in Japanese only), SKT Joins hands with NTT DOCOMO for Comprehensive Cooperation in ICT (November 21, 2022) https://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/press_detail.do?idx=1549

(*5) NTT DOCOMO and SK Telecom Release White Papers on Green Mobile Networks and 6G Requirements (February 22, 2023) https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/info/media_center/pr/2023/0222_00.html, SK Telecom and DOCOMO Release White Papers on Green Mobile Networks and 6G Requirements (February 22, 2023) https://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/press_detail.do?idx=1557&

(6) NTT DOCOMO and SK Telecom Release White Papers on Base Station Equipment Utilizing Virtualization Technology (February 20, 2024) https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/info/media_center/pr/2024/0220_00.html, SK Telecom and NTT DOCOMO Release White Paper on Key Considerations for vRAN (February 20, 2024) https://news.sktelecom.com/en/559

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 91 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 SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.
For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

TOKYO, Mar 31, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) -  NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a leading global IT and network transformation services provider, today announced the deployment of high-performance next-generation firewalls for Ooredoo Algeria, one of Algeria’s largest mobile operators. The modernization enhances enterprise network security while improving operational efficiency, scalability, and energy conscious performance. This initiative strengthens Ooredoo Algeria’s internal network environment while accelerating its digital driven innovation and supporting the company’s long term business growth through more agile and sustainable operations.

Ooredoo Algeria delivers mobile voice, data, and digital services to both consumer and enterprise customers. As digital transformation has advanced, the company has faced increasing demands on its internal network infrastructure, making modernization essential for operational efficiency and manageability. To sustain service quality and enable future business growth, Ooredoo Algeria was seeking a scalable, sustainable, and high performance enterprise security platform capable of supporting expanding traffic and organizational needs.

To meet these needs, NEC delivered its Network Transformation Service across multiple sites, providing end to end network architecture design, professional services, and implementation while deploying firewalls for central and edge environments. The solution offers high throughput, strong session scalability, and advanced application control, contributing to reduced operational complexity and improved resource efficiency. Moreover, it is enhanced by NEC’s technical excellence, cost efficiency, and proven ability to support long term network evolution.

This deployment reinforces Ooredoo Algeria’s enterprise network security by enabling more secure, efficient, and resilient internal operations. Improved resource utilization and streamlined management contribute to a sustainable IT environment that supports the company’s digital transformation and long term business growth. Going forward, NEC remains committed to advancing sustainable network modernization and will continue partnering with Ooredoo Algeria to enable future innovation and next generation enterprise connectivity.

"Through our partnership with NEC Corporation, we are accelerating the modernization of our next-generation firewall infrastructure. This initiative strengthens our security posture and positions us to scale with confidence, innovate faster, and support sustainable business growth with a resilient and future-ready digital foundation. This modernization also reinforces our ability to deliver faster and more reliable mobile and digital services to our customers across Algeria."
— Roni Tohme, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Algeria.

"NEC is proud to support Ooredoo Algeria in strengthening its enterprise network security and accelerating its digital transformation journey. Through the NEC Network Transformation Service, we remain committed to helping Ooredoo achieve sustainable growth and deliver high quality digital services to its customers."
— Masayuki Kayahara, Corporate SVP, Global Network Division, NEC Corporation

About NEC

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, please visit https://www.nec.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.

TOKYO, Mar 19, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) will develop a small technology demonstration satellite to conduct in-orbit verification of key technologies essential for realizing future optical communication satellite constellations, including optical communications, high-speed network routing design, and high-capacity millimeter-wave band communications. The design of the satellite-mounted equipment (payload) for this demonstration has now been completed. Moving forward, the payload will be manufactured and integrated into the satellite bus, the common functional component of the satellite, which is scheduled for launch into Earth’s orbit in fiscal year 2027.

Rendering of a Small Technology Demonstration Satellite

In satellite constellations where numerous satellites collaborate and function together, optical communication is increasingly favored over conventional radio for satellite-to-satellite communications. This shift aims to avoid communication interference and enable high-capacity data transmission. However, in order to equip a large number of small satellites with optical communication devices, it is necessary to shorten the development and manufacturing times and reduce costs. Therefore, it is important to utilize general-purpose technologies that are highly functional, high-performance, and have a proven track record of mass production.

Furthermore, in optical communication satellite constellations—which consist of tens to thousands of satellites and function as high-speed, dynamically moving mesh networks—high computational power is required for routing processes that enable low-latency, high-capacity communications in orbit. Consequently, high-performance applications are needed that differ from routing designs based on terrestrial network environments.

Against this backdrop, NEC will conduct demonstrations of the underlying technologies needed to solve these challenges.

Overview of the Technology Demonstration Satellite

The technology demonstration satellite will conduct the following demonstrations in orbit. This will enable the acquisition of insights that are difficult to obtain using ground-based test facilities, thereby enhancing competitiveness.

1. Demonstration of Radiation-Hardened Design for Commercial Optical Transceivers

NEC will evaluate the radiation-hardened design for space environments of low-cost, high-performance commercial optical transceivers capable of enabling high-capacity transmission even on small satellites.

2. Demonstration of High-Speed Network Routing Processing Technology in Space

NEC will conduct operational verification using a Versal(TM) Adaptive SoC (*1) device manufactured by U.S.-based AMD, Inc. (*2) for high-performance signal processing, as a key technology required for high-speed network routing processing of data transmission via optical communication satellite constellations. Furthermore, aiming to enhance future satellite development, NEC will also demonstrate the effectiveness of an application development methodology that integrates NEC's accumulated satellite technology assets with generative AI.

3. Demonstration of Next-Generation Millimeter-Wave Band Communication Technology

In anticipation of a future shift to higher frequency bands that will enable high-speed, large-capacity data transmission, NEC will demonstrate the operation of millimeter-wave Q/V-band transceiver equipment (*3). The equipment will also communicate with ground stations to acquire data on radio wave propagation characteristics.

The bus, which constitutes the common functional component of this satellite, will consist of the compact Aries satellite bus, an existing product of U.S.-based Apex Technology (APEX, *4).

Comments from each company regarding this matter are as follows.

"NEC is exactly the kind of partner we built Apex for — a world-class technology leader pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in orbit. By pairing NEC’s advanced optical communications with our configurable and productized satellite bus, we’re accelerating time to orbit and reducing risk. This mission is a strong example of how mass-manufactured spacecraft can enable next-generation constellations globally. We’re proud to support NEC’s on-orbit demonstration and to expand Apex’s footprint internationally as we help partners deploy resilient, high-performance space infrastructure at scale."

Apex Technology CEO, Ian Cinnamon

"NEC aims to create social value through safety, security, fairness, and efficiency, positioning space utilization as a means to solve challenges in achieving these goals. Since the 1990s, NEC has been developing technologies in the field of space optical communications to support this vision. We are very pleased to conduct this demonstration with the cooperation of APEX, a company based in the United States—where satellite manufacturing innovation is advancing—and a leader in the industry for its rapid provision of small satellite buses. The results of this demonstration will also be utilized in the research and development conducted under the Economic Security Critical Technology Development Program ‘Development and Demonstration of Satellite Constellation Core Technologies for Optical Communications, etc.’ (NEDO) and the Space Strategy Fund Project ‘Technology Development for Optical Communication Satellite Constellation Construction and System Demonstration’ (JAXA), both of which NEC is contracted to undertake. Going forward, NEC will continue advancing technological development with the goal of providing new space digital infrastructure."

NEC Satellite Constellation Department General Manager, Yasushi Yokoyama

(1) https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/versal.html
(2) https://www.amd.com/en.html
(3) These results were obtained from the commissioned research project (No. JPJ012368C06702) "Research and Development of Wireless Communication Technologies Utilizing Unused Frequency Bands for Beyond 5G Space Networks," by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan. NEC subsequently acquired this technology through R&D investment.
(4) https://www.apexspace.com/

About NEC

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, please visit https://www.nec.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.