The International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) has approved a new international framework for low-latency and energy-efficient networks, creating a common foundation for next-generation communication infrastructure aimed at supporting the growing demands of AI.
The framework was approved on August 13, 2026, and was announced by seven Japanese companies on August 21. The group comprises KDDI Corporation, NTT, Inc., 1Finity Inc., NEC Corporation, Rakuten Mobile, Inc., Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
The new framework has been standardised as Recommendation ITU-T Y.3335, titled “Framework of low-latency and energy-efficient networks.” It defines network configurations and technical requirements for establishing communication paths that combine low latency with energy efficiency across different network operators.
The standard is intended to support the development of All-Photonics Network (APN) infrastructure. APN is designed to provide high-capacity communications with low latency and improved energy efficiency, capabilities that are considered important for applications requiring real-time processing of data from remotely located sensors and robots.
The companies said APN could become an important networking foundation for emerging technologies such as physical AI, where AI systems interact with and respond to information gathered from the physical environment.
A key challenge has been enabling APNs operated by different organisations to work together. Research into photonic network federation technology is already underway to establish stable connections between independently operated APNs. However, broader international deployment requires a common technical framework that is not tied to a particular organisation or implementation method.
Recommendation ITU-T Y.3335 addresses this requirement by organising existing APN knowledge and research outcomes into a framework that can be shared internationally. The companies said the standard should make it easier to develop APN services spanning multiple operators and support high-speed, energy-efficient communication between geographically separated locations.
The seven companies will continue working on APN standardisation in Japan and international forums. Within ITU-T, they are also contributing to work on a functional architecture for low-latency and energy-efficient networks, with a target completion date of October 2028.
The initiative forms part of Japan’s broader efforts to develop next-generation information and communication infrastructure for an AI-driven society. The companies said they will continue working toward wider global adoption of APN technologies and the development of interoperable networks.
Source: This article is based on an official press release issued by OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
ITU-T Standardizes Framework of Low-Latency and Energy-Efficient Networks to Support the AI Era | OKI
