News Release

NTT WEST, Inc. (Head Office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Ryota Kitamura, hereinafter “NTT WEST”), NTT SmartConnect Corporation (Head Office: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture; President: Kento Miyaoku, hereinafter “NTT SmartConnect”), and AT TOKYO Corporation (Head Office: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Tatsuya Izumida, hereinafter “AT TOKYO”) have jointly initiated a study on the development of next-generation digital infrastructure, including communication networks and data centers, in the Western Japan.

■ Background of the Study

In recent years, with the advancement of automation in various industries, the advancement of both quality and quantity in on-demand content, remote work, and online education, and the development of advanced IT services such as AI, the digital infrastructure that supports these services, such as communications infrastructure and data centers, has become increasingly important.

FIn particular, the high concentration of digital infrastructure in the Tokyo metropolitan area has highlighted the need for regional decentralization and supplementation to ensure sustainable growth moving forward.

Furthermore, as discussed in the Digital Garden City Nation Concept, the high concentration of people, economic activity, and information in specific urban areas may limit societal diversity and increase the risk of large-scale disasters.

To address these challenges, alternative approaches are needed in terms of culture, economy, and information distribution.

■ Purpose of This Initiative and Future Developments

Based on the background outlined above, the three companies will jointly begin studying the development of digital infrastructure in Western Japan, with a focus on Osaka as an alternative to Tokyo in terms of information distribution. This includes the development of next-generation connectivity data centers following the existing data center clusters in Dojima and Sonezaki, which currently serve as the core of information distribution in Western Japan.

Furthermore, as part of future developments, following the digital infrastructure initiatives in Osaka, the companies will expand efforts to strengthen regional information distribution foundations and build decentralized infrastructure, centering on Fukuoka, a key city in Kyushu and the next major hub in Western Japan after Osaka.

■ Key Strengths of Each Company

• NTT WEST, Inc.

  Utilizing its sales offices across 30 prefectures and its capabilities in developing and operating optical fiber communications that support the IOWN initiative, NTT WEST provides community-based solutions.

• NTT SmartConnect Corporation

  NTT SmartConnect has a proven track record in operating data centers located in Dojima and Sonezaki—key hubs for information distribution in Osaka—and managing the high-quality fiber network connecting them, known as “Dojima Connect.”

• AT TOKYO Corporation

  AT TOKYO operates connectivity data centers on a nationwide scale, and its operational capabilities are highly regarded globally.

In this initiative, the three companies will combine their respective strengths to develop next-generation digital infrastructure with Osaka and Fukuoka as core hubs, aiming to drive growth across Asia from Western Japan.

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