Photonic ICT Research Center
Connecting the World with Photonic ICT
HeadLine News
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Message from Director General
C
ompared to five years ago, how has your information and communications experience changed?
I imagine it has become just a little more comfortable and a little more convenient, wouldn’t you agree?
The information and communications technologies that underpin these advancements are evolving at a rapid pace actually, and through research and development—which takes five to ten years, and sometimes even longer—we are helping to enhance your experience.
To give a concrete example, our center has fulfilled its role as a national research institute by, among other achievements, more than doubling the world record for optical fiber transmission capacity compared to five years ago.
Information and communications networks have become an indispensable part of modern society, and the network services that span the globe are supported by optical fiber communications. Compared to five years ago, 5G is now a commodity service, and in the research community, we are forging ahead with research and development for the next generation—6G—and the optical communications technologies that will support it. In particular, the underlying optical fiber communications are being called upon to make even greater leaps forward.
For this reason, we are beginning to take on challenges in new areas that go beyond existing conventions.
For example, to achieve higher-capacity communications, we recognize that pursuing individual technologies alone is no longer sufficient; instead, we are exploring integrated system architectures. To accelerate access speeds, we are tackling challenges such as developing optical devices that operate at extremely high frequencies—a feat previously out of reach.
Furthermore, we are committed to building even stronger collaborative frameworks with various research institutions both in Japan and abroad, with the aim of helping Japan take strong leadership in areas such as economic security.
Overview
At the Photonic ICT Research Center, we are performing research and development in “Photonics Network Infrastructure Technologies” related to optical communications—which form the core of network infrastructure—and “Optical-Radio Fusion Access Infrastructure Technologies,” which integrate and harmoniously utilize optical and radio waves in the access domain that connects network infrastructure with users.
In the area of “Photonics Network Infrastructure Technology,” we are developing fundamental technologies to enable high-capacity communication using various laser-based links—including optical fiber propagation and free-space beams—across a range of distances from ultra-long haul to short haul.
In the area of “Optical-Radio Fusion Access Infrastructure Technology,” we are performing research and development of opto-electronic devices in the high-frequency range—where the fusion of optical and radio waves is becoming increasingly critical as communication speeds increase—as well as research and development of all-band seamless communication technology that optimally combines different communication resources, such as optical signals from network infrastructure and radio waves reaching smartphones, according to the usage environment.
By integrating these technologies, we aim to realize a more advanced and user-friendly communications infrastructure that balances high capacity with high reliability.
Labs
Press Releases in the 6th Mid- to Long-Term Plan Period（2026/4～）
| Date | Title | Authors from NICT |
|---|---|---|
| Jun. 1, 2026 (Jun. 29 in Japanese) |
World Record: 450 Tb/s Transmission Over a Metropolitan Link Using Legacy Optical Fiber | FURUKAWA Hideaki |
Press Releases in the 5th Mid- to Long-Term Plan Period（2021/4～2026/3） Click "more"
Contact
General Planning Office
Network Research Institute
4-2-1, Nukuikitamachi, Koganei-shi,
Tokyo 184-8795, Japan
ml.nict.go.jp