NTT, one of the world’s largest telecommunications firms, is joining forces with Toshiba, the famed Tokyo-based electronics maker. Together, they are launching a transformative initiative that includes building the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN). This deeply ambitious project aims to radically democratize the future of information and communications infrastructure. It will push the limits of next-generation silicon photonics and high-density optical packaging technologies. IOWN has more than 160 members, including all the major chip and server manufacturers, as well as internet titans such as Google and Microsoft. As partners, they are both positioned to lead substantial improvements to our tech ecosystem.
IOWN’s technical core mission is to open the door for optical communications at every level. That would be everything from chip-to-chip and board-to-board interconnections, as well as intra-chip communication. Owned by the International Project on Next Generation Networks, IOWN hopes to increase energy efficiency in data centers. It accomplishes this by reducing the power consumed when turning photons into electronic signals at the internet server level. Partnership for the Future This initiative couldn’t come at a more pivotal time. As the demand for data processing rapidly increases, the pressure on our energy resources continues to grow.
Groundbreaking Demonstration
Notably, NTT and Toshiba made history in July, proving high-speed factory production for the first time. They operated this process through an optical and wireless network from a data center 300km (185 miles) away. With this new demonstration, an industry first, we’re illustrating IOWN’s potential to completely reshape how data centers can run.
Yosuke Aragane, Director General, IOWN Development Office, described the potential impact of this innovation as profound. More importantly, he emphasized that developing physical connections between package and person style service is an important first step to accomplishing the goals of the project.
“The core idea is to move from electrical wiring to optical, inside data centers, between circuit boards in servers, between silicon packages on circuit boards, and eventually between the silicon die inside a package.” – C. Sean Lawrence
The implications of this shift are profound. With the shift to optical systems, data centers can save significantly in energy consumption while processing information at a much faster rate. The foundation for this transition in part, the urgency behind this transition is driven by the swift emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Advancing Research and Development
IOWN is leading the way in important R&D initiatives in the space of silicon photonics. Experts like Takasumi Tanabe, a professor of electronics and electrical engineering at Tokyo’s Keio University, affirm that this initiative is pivotal for advancing technology in this area.
At the device level, Tanabe admits there are still challenges that remain. He states,
“At the device level, some aspects are more challenging.” – Takasumi Tanabe
He warns that the dream of an all-optical system may not be feasible. Still, he’s bullish on the future and the future role of photonic devices.
“Even so, I expect photonic devices to play an increasingly important role in the most critical parts of future systems, where low-power consumption, high bandwidth and low latency are required.” – Takasumi Tanabe
Industry efforts like IOWN’s current initiatives are a coordinated attempt to better address these technological hurdles. The initiative’s roadmap aims for optical communication between chips for its second phase by 2026. After those, it intends to introduce inter-chip links by 2028 and intra-chip connections by 2032.
Industry Collaboration and Future Outlook
The collaboration between NTT and Toshiba goes beyond just their joint partnership. NTT is working hand-in-glove with U.S. fabless chipmaker Broadcom. Along with other industry partners, they are helping commercialize the second-generation Photonic Electric Converter (PEC) and bring it to market. Through this collaboration, PEC technology will be commercialized by 2026. More importantly, it will make IOWN’s foundational role in developing a new generation of information infrastructure that much stronger.
When IOWN’s success comes to fruition, it will completely change the ways we work with data centers. Beyond that, it will establish a formula for the future of computing and networking across sectors.
“With the advent of AI,” Rubenstein adds, “Computing has returned to center of everything. If the AI boom slows, then the urgency will disappear. But if AI continues as it has done, in five years it will be much closer to that vision.” – Rubenstein
The success of IOWN could not only impact data centers but also establish a new paradigm for computing and networking across various industries.