NTT Docomo asserted a leading status in putting Nokia equipment to work in an open-RAN configuration after deploying a base station capable of integrating with infrastructure from multiple vendors.

The Japanese operator intends to showcase the capabilities of the O-RAN Alliance-compatible Nokia equipment at an event tomorrow (12 September), employing the vendor’s latest Massive MIMO network optimisation technology to bolster access during hours of peak demand.

Docomo stated the Nokia base station equipment is part of the vendor’s broader AirScale range, easing the path to evolving beyond the 4G and 5G connectivity technologies the kit currently delivers.

It expects the equipment to increase the number of devices it can connect at a lower rate of power consumption than existing equipment.

Docomo expects the deployment to ultimately set a blueprint for rollouts in other high-traffic scenarios including urban areas, stadia and event venues.

Research company SNS Insider recently noted open RAN continues to attract interest from operators keen to employ the flexibility the approach offers, and stated AI and machine learning are adding to the network optimisation capabilities.

SNS Insider expects the value of the AI-native open RAN segment to hit $24.5 billion in 2035 compared with $3.2 billion in 2025.

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NTT Docomo Business began preparing to develop an IoT security system with Tess Engineering to combat growing cyberattacks on devices by addressing threats at the network level.

The pair intend to develop ways to boost the security of communications infrastructure used for remote monitoring at solar power generation plants using an existing IoT-oriented Docomo network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform.

Docomo stated the IoT devices used to remotely monitor solar facilities typically lack the performance to implement effective security measures. There are also specific difficulties associated with the operating environment.

It explained Tess Engineering is a specialist in designing and operating solar power facilities and had already reported problems involving attacks on the communication systems used to transmit operational data to remote monitoring units.

The existing threat detection and blocking functions in Docomo’s NaaS platform are expected to help tackle the threats by providing notifications and blocking capabilities.

Tess Engineering is piloting the system at some of its solar sites and the companies plan to explore further measures to provide remote monitoring systems protections in a one-stop shop model.

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Japan continued to be lucrative territory for Ericsson, with NTT Docomo picking the vendor to provide RAN baseband platform spanning all generations of its mobile infrastructure.

Ericsson stated what it calls RAN Compute equipment works across 4G, and normal and advanced iterations of 5G. It explained the platform can be foundational in creation of AI-native networks.

The vendor noted the platform expands capacity by up to two times over its previous-generation of equipment. Energy use is “less than half”, elements Ericsson pitched as helping to reduce costs in centralised RAN set-ups.

Ericsson noted the work with Docomo adds to the rollout of Massive MIMO equipment with the operator in December 2025.

Over the course of 2026, it has added contracts with SoftBank Corp and KDDI, among other moves in Japan.

Docomo GM of RAN design department Masafumi Masuda said Ericsson is enhancing the “processing capacity” of the operator’s network, an upgrade needed to “improve communication quality while meeting” rising “traffic demand”.

Yukiko Sato, board director and head of the NTT Group customer unit at Ericsson Japan, said the RAN baseband platform would also “enhance environmental sustainability and reduce operating costs”.

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NTT Docomo Business, the group’s global connectivity unit Transatel and cybersecurity player Zscaler moved to grasp an opportunity in IoT protection by providing a centralised SIM-based set-up the Japanese giant believes overcomes many weaknesses in device defence.

The Cellular SASE for IoT service uses the multi-SIM capabilities of Transatel’s network, the zero-trust security nous of Zscaler and NTT Docomo Businesses’ managed services products to secure the link between IoT devices, cloud and internal IT settings.

NTT Docomo Business stated the service tackles current inherent weaknesses in IoT device security including the “limited processing power and capacity” units have to run systems offering protection from “malicious communications” and unauthorised access.

It noted some devices are “vulnerable to cyberattacks”.

The operator unit explained centralising security using the SIM removes the diversity of device makers and specifications from the protection equation, asserting the approach is simpler and safer than deploying VPNs or embedding “software on each device”.

NTT Docomo Business highlighted “multi-carrier route redundancy” as another selling point, a nod to the multiple markets an IoT device might cross and the hassle of arranging connectivity in each one.

It emphasised secure cloud communications also reduce “the attack surface”.

Nathan Howe, VP of emerging technologies at Zscaler, said the system would enable “customers to deploy on a large scale, based on consistent policies”.

The operator stated the trio would continue to collaborate to improve the defences offered.

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