September 30, 2026
NEC Corporation
Cable TV Co., Ltd.
Kanuma Cable Television Co., Ltd.
Utsunomiya Cable Television Co., Ltd.
A-JEX Sports Management Co., Ltd.

NEC Corporation (Note 1, hereinafter "NEC"), Cable TV Co., Ltd. (Note 2),　Kanuma Cable Television Co., Ltd. (Note 3), Utsunomiya Cable Television Co., Ltd. (Note 4), and A-JEX Sports Management Co., Ltd. (Note 5) are pleased to announce that their proposal, "Demonstration of a Regionally Produced and Consumed Data Distribution Infrastructure Using Regionally Distributed Data Centers Leveraging APN," submitted with NEC as the lead organization, has been selected for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ FY2026 "Watt-Bit Collaboration-Related Demonstration Project".

Background

In recent years, demand for data centers has been growing rapidly alongside the advancement of AI. However, assuming the expansion of AI use in regional areas, the individual deployment of high-performance GPUs by each operator faces significant constraints in terms of cost-effectiveness and power consumption. Furthermore, a structure that relies on data centers in major metropolitan areas for processing poses challenges from the perspectives of real-time performance and disaster resilience.

Overview of the Demonstration

In this demonstration, we will validate a distributed inference model that connects GPU servers deployed across multiple regional sites via an All-Photonics Network (APN) to enable GPU resource sharing among service providers. This will enable real-time AI processing within the region, aiming to ensure the efficient utilization of limited computational resources and enhance the value of regional content.

From August 2026 to February 2027, the five companies will conduct the following demonstration in a real-world field setting within Tochigi Prefecture.

1. Establishment of a Regionally Distributed Data Center Environment

We will establish a regionally distributed data center environment in a real-world field setting by connecting the facilities of three regional service providers in Tochigi Prefecture—Cable TV Co., Ltd., Kanuma Cable Television Co., Ltd., and Utsunomiya Cable Television Co., Ltd.—via fiber-optic cables and building an APN using NEC’s "SpectralWave WX Series" open optical transport products (Note 6).

2. Video Analysis Using Video Recognition AI and LLM Technology

Using game footage from the "Tochigi Golden Braves," a regional baseball team managed by A-JEX Sports Management Co., Ltd., we will conduct real-time inference on this platform using NEC’s video recognition AI × LLM technology (Note 7). This will enable advanced video analysis and demonstrate the addition of information—such as on-screen text—based on the game situation.

3. Verification of Autonomous Operation Using Automatic Optical Wavelength Path Optimization Technology

To rapidly interconnect optical fibers between different service providers—where it is difficult to determine quality and installation routes in advance—we will verify the effectiveness of technologies such as automatic optical wavelength path optimization (Note 8). Additionally, we will demonstrate a dynamic optical path switching function (Note 9) designed for disaster scenarios to establish an autonomous and stable network operation model.

Future Outlook

Through this demonstration, the five companies will verify the feasibility of operating regionally distributed data centers utilizing the APN, as well as the effectiveness of GPU resource sharing among service providers. Based on the results obtained from this demonstration, they will evaluate the applicability of a distributed data center model that leverages the networks and data center facilities owned by regional service providers, with the goal of expanding the model to other regions. Furthermore, by leveraging features such as low latency, high reliability, and continuity, they will expand into lifeline sectors—including public services, regional healthcare, and disaster prevention—within regional governments. They will also conduct outreach activities through the visualization of results and hands-on experiences to support the creation of new services on the distributed data center system.

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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.

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