Global network infrastructure advances through new AI-ready standards and technologies

Seven Japanese telecommunications and equipment companies—including KDDI, NTT, NEC, Rakuten Mobile, Oki Electric Industry, Sumitomo Electric Industries, and 1FINITY—have established a collaborative framework to develop all-optical networks. This partnership aims to address the rising demand for low latency and low power consumption driven by the expansion of AI technology. On August 13, 2026, the group achieved international standardization through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) with the ‘ITU-T Recommendation Y.3335’. This standard provides design guidelines for constructing low-latency, energy-efficient communication paths across different operators, facilitating global deployment of high-speed services.

In a separate development, MediaTek and its subsidiary MTK (MediaTek) are focusing on upgrading global network infrastructure to support the AI era. At Network X 2026, the group showcased next-generation connectivity technologies covering Wi-Fi, 5G CPE, and PON. Their approach aims to provide end-to-end service experiences, evolving from Wi-Fi 7 toward Wi-Fi 8, XGS-PON toward 50G-PON, and 5G toward 5G-Advanced. These advancements are designed to ensure that AI computing power can be seamlessly extended from data centers to homes, businesses, and smart terminals through improved bandwidth, reduced latency, and enhanced energy efficiency.