NTT unveils “global” private 5G network

Japanese telecoms group offers cross-border 5G network-as-a-service platform but keeps schtum on ecosystem partners.

Japan’s NTT claimed, somewhat ambitiously, that it had launched the first “globally available” private LTE/5G network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform.

International might be a more accurate description of coverage – the last time Telecoms.com looked 5G coverage was hardly global, nor LTE for that matter – but semantic quibbles aside the product looks impressive enough (at least when leafing through the brochure).

Under the unassuming moniker of NTT P5G, NTT boasted that the new platform – which appears to fall under the wing of NTT Ltd, the group’s long-distance and international arm – has a “complete end-to-end stack of services that goes beyond the network.”

According to NTT, the design of NTT P5G integrates security, control, and privacy, and provides performance and cost benefits “with a clear ROI.” The platform runs on a cloud-native architecture and apparently can be delivered via cloud, on-premises, or at the edge.

Names of collaborators were not disclosed in the official announcement. The only (vague) nod to ecosystem-building was that NTT P5G was “pre-integrated with leading network and software partners”.

Mention was made, too, of NTT’s “patent-pending” MicroSlicing technology, which purportedly “allows mission-critical apps to leverage the advantages of private 5G.”

As for NTT P5G customers, it looks like Mondelēz International, a US snacks company with presence in over 150 countries, has signed on the dotted line. Javier Polit, chief information and global digital services officer at the US multinational, talked glowingly about the Japanese telecoms group. It was unclear if the service was up and running, however, and, if it was, in which countries.

“As a key partner in our digital transformation journey, NTT has an impressive track record of building and supporting new technologies that help CXOs solve critical business challenges,” said Polit. “NTT’s unique approach to private 5G offerings provides the kind of agility and insight that we will need to further accelerate our business.”

Work in progress

Development of the NaaS platform comes under the purview of Shahid Ahmed, EVP and “global leader” of NTT’s New Ventures and Innovation division. He was appointed specifically to “pioneer” the P5G service portfolio, drive digital transformation among enterprise clients and “deepen ecosystem collaboration.” Ahmed’s CV includes “leadership roles” at Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Sprint

“Our NTT P5G offering supports many of the CxO requirements today, and we will continue to invest in P5G as enterprise adoption evolves,” he said.

It all looks promising, but only if the NaaS platform can meet enterprise client expectations.