Partnership Between Nokia and KDDI Advances Scalable and Future Ready Connectivity for Distributed AI Facilities

Partnership Between Nokia and KDDI Advances Scalable and Future Ready Connectivity for Distributed AI Facilities

(IN BRIEF) Nokia and KDDI have demonstrated quantum-safe optical networking at KDDI’s Sakai Data Center, showcasing infrastructure designed to securely transport sensitive AI workloads while maintaining high performance and scalability. Using Nokia’s advanced photonic switching and security technologies, the project validated a framework capable of supporting distributed AI data centers across Japan with built-in protection against emerging cybersecurity and quantum-era threats. The collaboration represents a step toward developing resilient, AI-ready digital infrastructure for enterprises and critical services.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 23-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Nokia and KDDI Corporation have successfully demonstrated quantum-safe optical transport technology at KDDI’s newly built Sakai Data Center, reinforcing efforts to create infrastructure capable of securely supporting advanced artificial intelligence workloads.

The initiative highlights KDDI’s strategy to establish a resilient, future-ready digital platform designed to manage the growing demands of AI training, inference, and data analytics. By integrating enhanced security and high-capacity connectivity, the network architecture is engineered to protect sensitive information, including personal data and mission-critical systems, while ensuring uninterrupted data movement.

The demonstration utilized Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch with C+L Band technology alongside the 1830 Security Management Server to validate a scalable and secure framework tailored for AI-driven environments. These optical networking solutions enable high-throughput data transport between distributed facilities while incorporating quantum-safe encryption to safeguard information in transit.

As AI data centers continue to expand across Japan, the ability to securely interconnect sites has become a central requirement. The deployment tested how advanced optical transport can deliver both performance and protection, reducing cybersecurity risks while maintaining the speed and reliability needed for large-scale AI applications.

The collaboration reflects a broader effort to develop infrastructure that is not only AI-ready but also designed to remain secure in the face of emerging threats, including those posed by future quantum computing capabilities. By combining high-capacity networking with built-in cryptographic safeguards, the companies aim to support enterprises, public-sector organizations, and critical infrastructure providers requiring trusted digital environments.

Nokia’s role in the project builds on its broader focus on enabling connectivity optimized for the AI era through innovations in fixed, mobile, and optical transport networks, supporting scalable and secure data center ecosystems.

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SOURCE: Nokia