Network Service Systems Laboratories

Overview of the Laboratories

Network Service Systems Laboratories are undertaking R&D into core network technologies for providing ubiquitous broadband services that are fast, easy to use, safe, secure, and available anytime and anywhere. Our specific R&D topics include: the development of next-generation network (NGN), which will serve as the networking infrastructure in the coming era of full-scale FTTH; high speed and large-scale photonic backbone network technology to provide network services that are fast and easy to use; high available network service control platform technology to provide safe and secure services; network operation technology to prevent long-term service interruptions.

Greetings

Projects

• Network Strategy Project
• Next Generation Network Architecture Project
• First Promotion Project
• Second Promotion Project
• Third Promotion Project
• Fourth Promotion Project
• Fifth Promotion Project
• Emerging Communication Architecture Project
• Broadband Network Systems Project

(As of July 1, 2009)

Main Research Areas

(1) Next-generation network (NGN)

Underlying networking technology to support an era when 30 million customers have optical access

The next-generation network consists of servers, which provide the network service control function for providing sophisticated, high value-added services, and core networks, which transport a large volume of information at high quality and low cost. In order to develop the next-generation network architecture, we are working on next-generation network service control technology, and next-generation link and router configuration technology. Specifically, network service control technology aims to build a platform for creating new services, such as fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services, through collaboration between servers, and services made possible through collaboration between the network and the Web. Next-generation link and router configuration technology aims to build a core transport network that can provide safe and secure communication environments that are highly robust against failures and the undue concentration of traffic.

(2) Core technology for a photonic network

An economical, high-capacity network capable of supporting a variety of services to be provided for 30 million optical access customers

By taking advantage of the characteristics of fiber-optics to provide a wide range of services, such as optical IP phones and video communication, we are developing a photonic network that can carry a large volume of traffic efficiently. Specifically, our R&D topics include a network architecture providing innovative multiple services based on a unified control plane; reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) and optical cross connects (OXCs), which permit economical, high-capacity, wavelength-divided full-mesh networks; and Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) and an operation and support system (OSS), which are needed to control and support such networks.

(3) Personal IP communication services

Incorporation into the network of service control and management mechanisms for both humans and physical items

Taking advantage of the vast address space available in IPv6, it is possible to assign personal IP addresses (fixed IPv6 addresses) that are independent of locations or access methods used. We aim to use such abundant addresses to enable the network to provide new value added services. Our goal is to bring to reality a safe, secure, simple and convenient service network, which identifies a human or a physical item the moment a terminal is connected to it, and provides a communication service at a quality level determined by automatic authentication or by a service agreement with specific humans or specific physical items no matter where they are.

(4) Ubiquitous broadband service control platform

Synthesis of context-aware services suitable for a ubiquitous service environment

In a ubiquitous society, a wide range of service elements, such as software program components, items of content, sensors, and home appliances, will become accessible through a network. In order to provide services that reflect a user’s context (preferences, usage environment, etc.), we are studying service control platform technology that will enable users to automatically locate and select the service elements they need via a network and synthesize them according to a service scenario specified by the user, so that user-specific services can be created.